Allies of Sand
by Ice-Princess-Amber
Summary: After the Gaara incident, three Sand ninjas are sent as a peace offering to Konoha. Everything seems fine, but the past is trying to catch up to them, and their fate is more intertwined with Team 7 than anyone could have guessed.
1. Default Chapter

New Allies? The Arrival of the Sand Ninjas!

"Konoha? Why do we have to go there?"

"It's our job, Kurai. The elders don't owe us an explanation."

"You trust them too much, Kohaku."

"And you don't trust anyone."

"Will you two stop arguing? I could've killed you both three times over already with how little you're paying attention," a female voice broke in. The girl stood in the street, staring up at her teammates and shaking her dark-red head of hair. She kept the loose strands long because she loved how the sun shone off them. But she would always tie her hair back before a mission, lest it get in the way. In a flash of fire and a slight breeze, two other teens stood in front of her. The boy leaned against the wall of a building, tossing dark-brown hair out of his matching eyes.

"My apologies, Senjo-chan," he said with a smirk. She shivered and looked away, casting her eyes down. Kurai was a skilled and deadly shinobi, but no one in the Hidden Village of Sand trusted him completely. He had a darkness about him that was always just under the surface. Senjo feared the day when that darkness would be unleashed. The other girl just sighed and began walking away, fixing her dark-brown hair into a ponytail.

"We need to get our gear and leave. Konoha is a fair ways away."

"Kohaku-chan, you do realize they're going to be suspicious of us, right?"

"Whether they trust us or not doesn't matter, Senjo-chan. They need help rebuilding after... The incident. I doubt they'll turn down three Chuunins who were sent as a peace offering." Kurai and Senjo looked at each other and shrugged.

"Think we'll see any action, Kurai-kun?"

"Maybe, Senjo-chan," he said as he patted her head. "I plan on seeing if any new rookies are worth my attention. If the rumors are true, this mission might be fun."

* * *

"But Iruka-sensei, why are we accepting their help?" Naruto demanded between bites of ramen. "They tried to destroy Konoha, and they made Gaara-" 

"Naruto, we've been over this. The new Kazekage is sending help as a peace gesture. If we had refused… Well, let's just say we're ill-prepared for a full shinobi war." Naruto folded his arms across his chest and frowned.

"I still don't like it." He saw his former teacher sigh and readjust his forehead protector. After a moment, Iruka-sensei said:

"Not many people do. But the Sand Ninjas will be arriving any day, so we have to deal with it.

"But-"

"Naruto, just promise me that you will be careful around them, okay?"

"All right. Bye, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said as he raced off. Passing by the bridge, he spotted Sakura and Sasuke. "Good morning, Sakura-chan. Hi, Sasuke."

"Hi," they replied in almost the same tone.

"So have you heard?" he asked, sitting on one of the railings.

"About what?" Sasuke asked, looking into the water.

"The new ninjas that are coming."

"Which ones, Naruto?" Sakura prompted. "All our allies sent aid when they heard what had happened."

"I don't consider the Sand Ninjas our allies."

"What did we ever do to you?" an unfamiliar voice asked. The three teammates spun around, and Sasuke mentally cursed himself for not sensing them.

_'Damn it, I'm not paying enough attention to what's around me!'_ The three people in front of them all wore the forehead protectors of the Village of Sand, and were staring at the younger group. One girl was in white shorts and a white shirt withpink lines running from her right shoulder to left hip, and a pink sash was around her waist. Her dark-red hair fell a bit past her shoulders in small waves, shining slightly in the sun. Blue eyes that matched the sky seemed to smile playfully at them. The boy beside her wore tan shorts, a black shirt, and the tan vest of a Sand Chuunin. He had dark hair that fell across his eyes, but he made no move to toss it out of his face. It was as if he liked hiding his eyes. Next to him was another girl in a flower-patterned red and black shirt, red armguards, and black pants. Her dark-brown hair was in a high ponytail, and her matching eyes swept over the group in an assessing sort of way. She alone carried a weapon: A double-bladed staff that she now leaned against.

"I believe I asked you a question," the girl in white said. "I'd appreciate an answer." Naruto was glaring at them, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He'd just told Iruka-sensei that he would be careful. But neither Sakura nor Sasuke made a move to answer the girl, and so:

"I, Uzumaki Naruto, who will one day be Hokage, declare that Konoha does not need the help of the allies of Gaara!" While the boy twitched and glared at Naruto, the girls continued to stare at them. Sasuke noted that the brunette girl's gaze kept flicking back and forth between her male teammate and Naruto. Sakura meanwhile yanked Naruto around and shook him roughly.

"What are you doing, idiot? They aren't even here five minutes and you're starting trouble already?"

"I'm not starting anything. They're the evil bastards who wanted to destroy our village and sent that -" Naruto suddenly found himself staring into dark, angry eyes that definitely weren't Sakura's. In fact, if his feet had been on the ground, he would've sworn that Sasuke had him.

"Not all evil bastards want to destroy your precious village. Some of us have other hobbies," the male Sand ninja said.

"Release him," came Sasuke's voice from the right. He was holding a kunai right near the stranger's side.

"Kurai, that's enough," the other girl finally said. "We didn't come here to fight, remember?" The boy shrugged and set Naruto down, then eyed Sasuke.

"You're pretty good to get into position near me. I'm Hajino Kurai. You are?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"I wouldn't mind sparring you in between our assignments here. At least I wouldn't get bored." Sasuke smirked and shrugged.

"If I have time." Kurai and the girl in white nodded at the group and then walked off. Still leaning on her staff, the other girl sighed.

"My apologies for Kurai's reaction. You would be wise to never mention Gaara's name around him again. Not everyone in our village agreed with the views of the former Kazekage. But when you believe your very future is in jeopardy, wouldn't you resort to drastic measures?"

"You're saying there was no alternative?" Sakura asked.

"No, I'm saying that he didn't see anything else working. Konoha is one of the strongest villages around. Sometimes the only way to get on top is to completely eliminate any rivals. But for what it's worth, I am sorry for what happened." She picked up her bladed staff and walked off after her teammates. They watched the three disappear down a bend in the road, and the silence seemed to stretch on for a while. From above them came Kakashi's voice:

"Sorry I'm late. I got lost while watching the butterflies dance." But Team Seven only looked up at him, and neither Sakura nor Naruto called him a liar. Something wasn't right. "Did something happen?"

"We met the Sand Ninjas," Sakura said softly. Kakashi landed next to her and took in Naruto's red face and the kunai in Sasuke's hand.

"Did they attack you?"

"No. Naruto insulted them." Sasuke replied as he put his kunai away. His attention was momentarily caught by the heat shimmers on the road and coming off the water, but he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"I did not insult them!" Naruto yelled, fists at his side. Sasuke just glared at him, folding his arms over his chest.

"You said they were allies of Gaara. It was obvious from their reactions that they don't even want to be associated with him." Kakashi sighed heavily and motioned his team closer as a slight wind picked up.

"Okay, I want you all to listen carefully: Even though we're currently on good terms with the Village of Sand, that doesn't mean we trust each other. So no one is to mention anything related to that incident around them." His eye flicked to the heat shimmers, and the wind turned to a hot breeze that seemed to only increase the hypnotic waves. "At the same time, keep a close eye on them. If you see anything suspicious, alert someone immediately."

"Okay," they all agreed. With that, Kakashi flashed away and Sakura sighed.

"Honestly Naruto, why did you have to open your big mouth?"

"But Sakura-chan, neither of you were going to answer. I couldn't just stand there looking all broody like Sasuke."

"Maybe you should be more like me. At least then you wouldn't be a target for every foreign ninja we meet."

"That guy seemed more interested in you than what I said," Naruto reminded him. The breeze curled around Sakura, and she shivered in spite of the warm sun.

"He looked dangerous," she said softly.

"Everything looks dangerous to you," Sasuke retorted, walking away. The heat shimmers were starting to annoy him, and he had training to do anyway.

"Sasuke, don't talk like that to Sakura-chan! Come back here!" Naruto yelled as he followed the other boy. The shimmers seemed to come closer, and the breeze raced across the bridge, causing another shiver down Sakura's spine.

"Sasuke-kun…" Turning around, she headed back home with her head down. Once everyone was out of sight, a small whirlwind swirled over the railing as Kurai stretched and made the air calm again. One of the heat shimmers rippled and faded, leaving Senjo and Kohaku visible.

"Interesting. Seems this whole place will be crawling with spies."

"Interesting my ass. The last thing we need is to have the whole village questioning our every move. And what was that stunt when that Jounin was here? I swear he saw us," Senjo said.

"He probably did, but who's to say why he didn't point us out? I think those kids deserve a closer look," Kurai replied nonchalantly, walking along the railing with his hands behind his head.

"They're kids, Kurai-kun. How interesting could they be?"

"We used to be kids too, Senjo-chan. Besides, I heard about a few of the Leaf rookies who took the test. Two of them even went against… **Him** when he changed."

"The boys, right?"

"Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. Definitely worth a closer look."

"You two take the boys. I've got little Sakura," Kohaku told them.

"Her? But why?" Senjo asked, a little baffled. She received a weak smile in return as Kohaku flashed away to track her target.

"Because I **was** her." Kurai looked at the spot where she had stood, shaking his head and exposing his dark-brown eyes, which narrowed slightly.

"She's going to get us in trouble."

"How do you know?"

"One of us always manages to start trouble, one way or another. It's Kohaku's turn this time. And knowing her, it won't take long."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It had been a few days since the incident on the bridge, and life was returning to normal. No one was bothering any of the foreign aid, and even Naruto had managed to keep quiet and do his work. Sakura was taking a break from her duties in the flower fields, watching the clouds go by. "So peaceful," she mused.

"Do you ever do anything besides sit around?" asked an accusing and all too familiar voice. She sat up and saw him staring at her, dark eyes narrowed slightly. He looked angry, and it seemed to be directed at her at the moment.

"Sasuke-kun?" she said, while her inner voice was rattling off the extensive list of things she'd done that day.

"You never train yourself to be better. You can't expect Naruto and me to always be there. There's no way you could hold your own as you are."

"But I try! I'm just not as good as the two of you." He smirked then, turning on his heel and looking back at her over his shoulder.

"And you never will be if you don't practice." Sasuke continued walking, hands in his pockets, not seeing as Sakura bent her head and slumped her shoulders. She knew it shouldn't bother her, that it was just Sasuke's way. But because it was him, it hurt all the more. And she tried to be better, had attempted to do more. But for some reason, she just couldn't do what either of her teammates could. She had the intelligence, but lacked the physical aspect to back herself up, and it made her feel so useless.

"Why couldn't I have been stronger, faster, or anything? Why did I have to be weak, little me? Why can't I prove that I'm a decent ninja? Why can't Sasuke-kun see me for me?" the last part was whispered, and she fought back the tears that were gathering in her eyes. "Why can't he be happy?"

"Because men like that see emotions as weaknesses. And anything that is a weakness should be gotten rid of," said someone behind her. Sakura whipped around to see one of the Sand ninjas. The girl was standing motionless, leaning on her staff as she stared at the pink-haired girl. How long had she been there? How much had she seen?

"What do you want?" Sakura demanded, getting into a defensive pose. The girl raised an eyebrow and started laughing.

"You really think I came here to fight? The moment I made a move towards you I'd be surrounded by your village and questioned. I'd like to avoid that, if you don't mind." Sakura thought about it, then nodded and sat down again, staring at the flowers near her and attempting to relax. The girl walked over and sat beside her, placing her staff at her side. "I want to talk, to answer your question."

"About what?"

"You, mostly."

"Me? Why?" Sakura was staring at the girl now, but she seemed lost in thought as she picked up a wildflower.

"Because I wanted to see what I used to be like," she said, more to herself.

"Used to be like? Are you saying-"

"That boy who was just here, he was on the bridge with you when we met. Uchiha Sasuke is his name?"

"Y-yes."

"What do you see in him?" Sakura blinked and stared at the Sand girl, whose dark eyes seemed to bore in hers. How could she ask something like that, and to a stranger nonetheless? And how could Sakura even begin to answer that question?

"I don't-" The girl held up a hand and then turned away for a moment. When she looked back, there was an apologetic smile on her face, and a slight warmth to her eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not good at this talking thing. Senjo usually handles that part. Kurai and I provide the silent intimidation factor. My name is Kohaku."

"I'm Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you, again." The two shook hands, and a genuine smile crossed each of their faces. "So, why the question about Sasuke-kun?"

"Have time for a story?" Kohaku asked. When Sakura nodded, she continued: "There's a boy who was ranked number two in our class. Akanaho Tansei is the type of guy girls dream about: Good looks, intelligent, and all the right moves on the battlefield. Everyone seemed enamored by him."

"Even you," Sakura realized, drawing her knees up and resting her head on them.

"Is it that obvious? Yes, I admit I too had feelings for Tansei. Even when we were placed on different teams, I still tried to see him as often as I could." Kohaku paused and looked at the flower she held, twirling the white bud between her fingers.

"What happened between you two?" Sakura wondered.

"Nothing, and that was the problem. Tansei was always training, always working, always trying to be better. He wanted to surpass Kurai, the top rookie of our class."

"Your teammate was the number one rookie of your class?"

"He's a bit cocky about it at times, but that's not the point. Tansei never wanted to appear weak, and he felt that certain emotions made him weak. Things like fear, kindness, and love. His goal was to get rid of those emotions entirely, no matter who it hurt. He believed that Kurai had learned how to do it, and so would he."

"Did he succeed?" Sakura knew the answer even as she asked the question. She also knew why Kohaku was telling her all this. Sasuke-kun was acting like he had no emotions, except those of anger and revenge. But was there anything that could be done to make him see that? Something that would break the cycle he'd placed himself in?

"Tansei became bitter, cynical even. Everything needed to be corrected in some way. His forms, his habits, even his outside life. When I tried to tell him he was fine the way he was, he shut me out. He said that I was trying to help Kurai by keeping down any rivals. And then he called me an enemy." Kohaku's breath caught in her throat as she pulled up one of her armguards. A massive scar marred the inside of her forearm, trailing into lines that extended to her elbow and wrist. "I have a similar design on my other arm."

"He attacked you?"

"Without mercy. I was caught off-guard, and he pinned my arms to the ground. If Kurai and Senjo hadn't stopped the fight, he would've killed me. As it was, my arms took quite a while to heal, and a lot of work to use them properly again." Sakura's eyes widened as she flashed back to Lee-san's fight against Gaara. Though his whole body had been broken, still he tried to train in the hospital, even when the medical team had said he'd never be a ninja. "A lot of Chuunins and Jounins have scars, but theirs are from missions and battles against outsiders. Mine came from someone I trusted, someone I'd once called a friend." She moved the armguard back into place and crushed the flower she'd been holding. They sat in silence for a moment as the clouds continued to creep by.

"Kohaku, do you think that Sasuke-kun would hurt me like that? Is that why you told me your story?" The other girl looked Sakura over for a moment and then smiled.

"No Sakura, I don't think Sasuke would hurt you like that. I guess maybe I needed to get that out to someone who could understand."

"Thank you for trusting me." Kohaku stood and stretched, picking up her staff and leaning on it for a moment.

"Thank you for trusting me as well."

"Maybe there is a way for Sasuke-kun to be a bit happier and still hold on to his training practices. I know he's a vengeance-seeker, but maybe I can show him there's more to life than that."

"That's an idea. I hope it works." The two girls waved to each other, and then Kohaku leapt up into the trees and left the Leaf girl to her chores. "No Sakura-chan, there is no normal way to change a man like that. Revenge and anger are too strong in those types of people, and it eats away their souls. But he won't ever hurt you like Tansei did to me. Not if I get to him first."

* * *

"You did **what**?" Kurai fumed, pacing around the guest quarters like a caged animal, arms rigid at his sides. 

"It was girl talk, Kurai. She needed to know she's not the only one who's gone through that," Kohaku retorted, staring out the window at the night sky.

"But you told her something about your past. You should never give that information to a stranger."

"Don't lecture me like I'm a child. Sakura isn't the type of person to hurt others."

"How do you know? That could just be a mask to fool people. Wouldn't be the first girl to do that."

"There's honesty in her eyes. She tries not to show how hurt she is, but her eyes betray her. That kind of girl shouldn't be a ninja."

"Senjo used to be like that, before our missions taught her how to hide those thoughts and emotions. You can't go around defending every broken-hearted girl just because you feel guilty."

"Guilt has nothing to do with this!" she yelled, spinning around and glaring at Kurai. They stayed staring at one another for a moment, neither one moving or looking away. Senjo poked her head out of the sleeping room and sighed when she saw the scene.

"Do you two mind? Following that Naruto kid today was exhausting, and we're going to be busy again tomorrow. You should both get some sleep." Kohaku stood and put on her sandals, pausing at the door.

"I need to clear my head. Don't wait up." She took her staff and left, and Kurai slammed his fist into the wall.

"She never listens to me," he muttered, barely noticing the dent he'd made. Senjo walked over and put her arms around his waist, leaning her head on his back.

"This is a path she needs to walk by herself. Not everyone can put a stopper on their feelings like you, Kurai-kun."

"I **have** feelings, Senjo-chan. I just know how to use them to my advantage. That's what Tansei could never understand."

"It's not like you ever told him, either." Kurai pulled away from the redhead and walked over to the window. There were so many scenarios that flashed through his mind regarding that time. But he'd vowed to never regret not telling his rival what he'd so desperately wanted to know. After a few minutes of stargazing, he said:

"Even if I'd told him, he wouldn't have been able to truly grasp the concept. You need to completely understand something before you master its use. If you understand how an enemy can use your feelings against you, then you can take steps to minimize that feeling during a battle. But if you just bottle everything up and force it back, sooner or later you're going to snap."

"We should've killed him," Senjo said suddenly, eyes darkening. "He could've killed Kohaku, and we let him go."

"At her insistence," Kurai reminded her. "He betrayed her, and nearly cost her the use of her arms. She wants to be the one to deal with him."

"And if she can't?"

"Then I will kill him. Anyone who hurts either of you will have me to deal with." Senjo hugged him again, staring up into his eyes, which seemed softer than usual."

"See, there is some good in you." He started laughing, and the sound sent shivers up her spine. Kurai smirked and shook his head, arms encircling her waist.

"Don't be fooled, Senjo-chan. That's only your reflection."

* * *

"Damn it, Kurai pisses me off sometimes!" Kohaku yelled to the sky, kicking a nearby tree. She had wandered out to the forest on the edge of the village to calm herself. Sometimes the dunes near home tended to relax her, but here there was no shifting sand and constant wind. It was quiet, almost serene with the moon rising over the treetops. No breeze stirred the leaves, and not even the sounds of insects could be heard. She became instantly alert, eyes scanning the branches of the trees nearest her and glancing quickly down the dark path. 

"Having problems?" a male voice asked. The sound caught her slightly off-guard, and she spun around to find two boys behind her like they were out for a night stroll as well. However, the smirks on their faces and the look in their eyes immediately told her she was in for a fight. They wore no forehead protectors, so either they were still in school, or they didn't want any repercussions to their village.

"Answer him, Sand bitch," the other boy said, taking a step forward and removing two shuriken from a pouch on his waist.

"You don't want to do this. I'm not here to fight." Kohaku put her staff up in defense, eyes quickly assessing the terrain: The many trees surrounding them, a dirt path to somewhere she didn't know, and the way back blocked by the unknown boys. _'If I run, they would either follow me or flank me if they know the area. But if I bring a fight back to the streets, what then? Guess I stay here.'_

"Not here to fight? Well that's too bad," the first boy replied, suddenly throwing a kunai at her while his friend launched the shuriken. Kohaku twirled her staff instinctively, deflecting the blades. Both boys charged, their kunai meeting the blades on her staff as she parried them move for move. Back and forth they went, until one boy got lucky and caught her right arm, slicing through the armguard and revealing the one scar.

"Looks like someone got to you first," he sneered. She narrowed her eyes and dug her heels in, pushing them back a few feet with the wooden part of her weapon.

_'All right, now I'm annoyed,'_ Kohaku said to herself, throwing her staff into the air and quickly forming seals. "Katon: Bouseki hoi-ru no jutsu!" (Fire Element: Spinning Wheel Attack). A flaming wheel half her height burst from her hands and spun towards the boys. As her staff came down, Kohaku caught it and ran at her attackers, sweeping them off their feet and putting them in the path of the wheel as she used a bit of chakra to shape its course. It mowed over them, leaving minor burns and tattered clothes before burning itself out. She shook her head at the two of them as they struggled to get to their knees. "I said I didn't want to fight. Maybe next time, you'll listen."

"If we go back and say you attacked first, who do you think they'll believe?" one boy coughed. She paled then, one hand gripping her staff so hard she heard the wood creak. "Your people are hated by Konoha. Who would they trust more?"

"A reliable witness," another voice answered. Kohaku's attention was drawn to the trees, where a boy a year or so younger than her stood with his arms folded. Long dark hair, Konoha forehead protector, beige shirt, and- Were his eyes actually white?

"Who are you?" she demanded, once more dropping into a defensive crouch. The stranger narrowed his eyes and jumped to the ground, casting a quick glance at her former opponents and laughing slightly as they both passed out.

"Even after hearing about the Chuunin exam, they still thought a Sand ninja was an easy target?" His eyes shifted back to her, and she swore there were visible veins at the corners. "My name is Hyuuga Neji, and you have my word that the truth will be told about this attack on you."

"No offense, but words mean very little to me."

"What would I gain by lying?"

"You get rid of another Sand ninja: A potential enemy."

"Do you plan on attacking anyone in Konoha?" His tone was flat, but his eyes never left her face, as if they were looking through her. And then it clicked: The Hyuuga family had the Byakugan bloodline limit, one of the most powerful traits in the world. This Neji must be one of the clan's successors.

"Do I look stupid? Not only might that start a war, but I'd rather not fight everyone in this village." He smirked, then picked up the two boys by the collars

"Then you are not a potential enemy to me. Though we might still harbor hatred for your village's failed takeover, making a martyr of you wouldn't help us either."

"Good night then, Hyuuga Neji." He walked off in silence, dragging the boys behind him, and Kohaku faced the sky once more. "First our feudal lord took our honor, then our Kazekage took our trust, and then our own people took our respect. What is left for us now? How do you rebuild with nothing?" She knew there was no answer, and no one to accept all the blame. Except of course, the old standby. "I'm tired of blaming him for everything. We created him out of our fear and hatred and supposed superiority. We allowed him to run uncontrolled and unstable. We sat back and thought the situation was well in hand. He stole our birthright, and we did nothing out of fear of the Kazekage. I wish we had gone on that mission. At least Kurai and I wouldn't have failed."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kohaku told neither of her teammates about the attack or her meeting Hyuuga Neji. After all, no one came to discuss the incident with her, so Neji must've indeed told the truth. Rumors began to circulate throughout the village that the elders were looking for someone to become the fifth Hokage. It had been a bit of a surprise to the Sand ninjas that a new leader had not been chosen immediately. Even before they knew that Orochimaru had killed him, a new Kazekage had been appointed to oversee the peace treaty with Konoha and attempt to rebuild any sort of relation with the lord of the Wind Country. Still, it seemed that Konoha could function without a definitive leader for a little while, as everyone seemed to know their job. And Senjo's after-hours job had been to try and establish contact with Uzumaki Naruto. She found him deep in the woods, training hard with what seemed like an incredible amount of will and stamina. _'The way he trains, you'd think he was one of ours,'_ she thought as he finally took a break for a lunch of instant ramen. _'Now or never.'_ Dropping from the trees where she'd been watching, Senjo walked up to him, hand raised in greeting. "Hello."

"Eh? Oh, it's you," the blonde boy replied, frowning a bit. "I was hoping-"

"That I was that cute pink-haired girl?" His mouth dropped for a moment, and Senjo giggled in spite of herself. She was going to have fun with him. "I can read minds, you know. Your friend Sakura is busy in the village, anyway."

"I know, I just- Wait, you can read minds!" Naruto's jaw dropped slightly, but he quickly regained partial composure and turned away from her with a "Hmph. No one can read minds, not even old-man Hokage or Kakashi-sensei. Prove it."

"And how would you like me to do that?"

"Read my mind right now." He looked her square in the eyes and Senjo smiled. Even though he didn't understand, he'd just given her the keys to his mind, and she wanted to have a little fun before getting down to business. She moved closer, and Naruto continued staring, confidence shining in his eyes. "So what am I thinking?"

"That no matter what I say, you'll just say you weren't thinking that and have me assume you outsmarted me." Naruto's jaw dropped again, and this time his eyes widened. Senjo smiled brighter and chuckled. "After all, a person who will one day be Hokage must be able to defeat all types of opponents."

"I-How-What do you want?"

"I just want to talk. You seem to be a friendly person, despite your attitude towards my teammates and I. Why is that, exactly?"

"You're the mind-reader, aren't you?" He was staring at her now, and his eyes betrayed slight anger and resentment. Senjo tried not to pry into the thoughts of those around her when not in combat, but this time she needed to. He had no reason to hate her village as passionately as he seemed to, and yet… Moving faster than he registered, Senjo grabbed his hand and quickly established a deeper link.

"I won't harm you, but I need to know why you feel this way." Naruto froze, one hand already clutching a kunai. Locking eyes with the redhead, he saw that she had a softness about her that reminded him of Sakura and Hinata. She was a Chuunin of the Sand, yet some of her innocence had remained, and he could feel it like a warmth that seeped off her. Relaxing as much as he could, Naruto nodded to her. Senjo closed her eyes and formed a short succession of seals as she prepared to dive into his mind. The only downside to her power was that she needed to maintain either eye or body contact, and if she didn't have the target's full cooperation, it could put her at risk. When the last seal had been formed, she whispered "Ninpou: Oboe tansa." (Memory Probe Technique), and placed both hands on either side of his head. The results were instant and a little more than Senjo could bear: Pain, fear, determination, and even a hint of understanding were mixed all together in a bundle that followed the sights of Gaara in his half-possessed form. Senjo bit her lip and pressed forward, even though she was ready to bolt at just the sight of that demon child. Attempting to filter out all unnecessary feelings, she locked onto the understanding part she'd detected and followed it into the scene. There was Gaara, standing like a mad beast across from him, wanting a reason to exist. There was Sasuke lying on a tree branch, covered in what looked like black flame tattoos. And Sakura was standing in front of him, ready to take whatever Gaara threw at her. The feeling became mixed with fear as Naruto beheld what Gaara had become, and still that understanding persisted. So she went to the next layer, and grabbed the first surface thought she found.

_'He's like me. I could've been that. If not for my friends, I would be like him.'_ Senjo pulled back then, blinking a few times to restore her actual sight. Naruto seemed dazed, but he shook his head and looked expectantly at her. "Well?"

"What do you mean, you'd be like him?" He frowned and furrowed his brow a moment, looking at the ground.

"Be like who?"

"Like Gaara." Naruto straightened up as his eyes widened again, and Senjo resisted the urge to read his surface thoughts. No, if she wanted to gain his true trust, she needed to do this the old-fashioned way. "You were thinking that when you saw him partially transformed into the Shukaku. How you would've been like him if not for your friends. Naruto, you are nothing like that creature." He stood and walked a few feet, hands behind his head.

"Don't be so sure," he told her, smiling a bit. It reminded her a little of Kurai's usual smile, and for a moment she was nervous that Naruto had the same type of darkness about him. But no, that wasn't this boy. He was upbeat and helpful, if a little on the idiotic side. He spoke his mind like a child would, but it seemed that he was the only one telling the truth in a world full of cover-ups and half-truths. So how could he even think he was like the twisted, murderous desert child?

"Naruto, regardless of how you identify with Gaara, can I ask how you defeated him? Everyone in our village was terrified of him, and he was supposed to be indestructible. What did your village do differently?"

"The village? They were busy fighting off the Sand and Sound ninjas who were invading. Sakura-chan and I followed Sasuke, who was tracking Gaara and the others. By the time we got there, he looked… Like a monster. When he attacked Sasuke and Sakura-chan, I stepped in to defend them."

"**You **beat him all by yourself!" Senjo was shocked and a little envious of him now. Not even her team or the former Kazekage's true children could control Gaara, let alone defeat him in battle.

"No, I had help. Gamabunta and I worked together to get him."

"Gamabunta? You can summon him!" Now it was Senjo's turn to have her jaw drop and eyes widen. Her team didn't work with summoned creatures, but they all knew about them. For a kid to call on the Frog Boss was unheard of. No wonder the Kazekage wanted to take Konoha down a peg or two. If all their Genins were half as powerful as Naruto, then they would've been able to conquer the other villages in short order. She sat there for a few moments, letting it all sink in and wondering how she was going to explain this to Kurai without him wanting to go off and challenge the whole village. Naruto sat down by her again and crossed his arms across his chest, furrowing his brows again. It looked like he was thinking about something.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Oh, sure."

"Were you and your team part of the attack on Konoha?"

"If I said no, would you believe me?"

"I can't be nice to anyone who killed friends and neighbors of mine. I need to know if you were here that day." Senjo nodded and patted his arm, causing him to look over and uncross his arms.

"My team was out on a mission for our village at the time. But had we been available, we probably would've been part of the invasion. If your Hokage ordered you to, wouldn't you invade another village?"

"Is that what being a ninja means to your people? That you need to prove that you're stronger and better than everyone through force?"

"Isn't that what all shinobi do? Prove that they're better than the enemy through a show of force? You can't kill someone with flowers and sunshine, you know."

"I don't want to kill at all." He narrowed his eyes a little and looked up into the trees, letting his mind drift back to Haku. Skilled and deadly though he was, he'd chosen to sacrifice his life for Zabusa and leave Sasuke wounded but alive. Wasn't there a way to always be like that, instead of killing everyone?

"You're going to have a very short life as a ninja then. Killing is part of what we do, like it or not. Some people are just better suited for it than others."

"Have you ever killed someone?" She laughed a little, following his gaze through the leaves as a slight breeze rustled them.

"I've wanted to, but I'm not suited for combat like that. There was once though, when I would've killed someone with my bare hands."

"Why?"

"He hurt my friend, and was trying to kill her. No one hurts my friends and gets away unharmed. That's my way of the ninja." Naruto smiled and nodded.

"That's a good way to be," he said softly. "I feel the same way."

"I know. You've said that to a few people and gotten them to change their views on things. We are what we make ourselves, but sometimes other people can bring things all into perspective." She stood to leave, brushing leaves off her clothes. "It was nice to talk to you, Uzumaki Naruto."

"You too, um…"

"Tanamari Senjo." They shook hands and then Senjo walked away, smiling slightly to herself. _'Well well, Naruto. Looks like you have a few secrets that need to be checked into. Kurai is going to flip out.'

* * *

_

"Are you certain of what you saw, Senjo?" Kohaku asked as they prepared dinner. Kurai had not yet returned from his daily tasks, and the two girls had thought it best to discuss their findings without him.

"As sure as I know that blowing sand stings. There's something about that Naruto boy that intrigues me. I'd almost like to have another chance to read his mind."

"Be careful, or Kurai will get jealous." They giggled for a moment, then became serious, contemplating their work.

"Gaara tried to kill him- all of them, but he failed. The Shukaku was supposed to be our village's ultimate weapon, and yet it was defeated by a mere child and a summoned frog. I don't understand. There was never any hesitation in killing on either the demon's or the demon child's part. And I still don't understand that part where he said he could've been like Gaara."

"This village hid many secrets, as did ours. Perhaps instead of having a psychotic killer as their main weapon, they chose a perky child and instilled him with great power. Who would you attack first? A homicidal maniac, or an idiot?"

"You know, as much as we hate him, must you call him all those names? You know Temari and Kankuro-"

"They're not **here**, now are they? And even if they were, so what? Self-righteous spoiled brats that thought the world should bow at their feet because they were children of the Kazekage. No one was good enough to stand with them, except their created little brother. And they were terrified of him, as was the rest of the village. We should've killed him when we had the chance," Kurai said as he walked in the door. Senjo pulled back a little as she gazed at his cold eyes.

"Kurai, you know we tried, but every assassination attempt failed. That damn sand protects him."

"It didn't protect him here. Something broke through his defenses and defeated him. If we can find out what it was, then we can learn it and end this charade once and for all." Kohaku looked at Senjo, who nodded.

"Actually, I learned how he was defeated, but you aren't going to like it."

"Why's that?"

"It was a combination of the Frog Boss Gamabunta, and Uzumaki Naruto." Kurai's jaw hit the floor straightaway, and he stayed staring at his teammates for a moment. There was no way that child- that **idiot** could've defeated Gaara with such a simple technique as a summoned frog, even if it **was** the most elite frog known.

"Senjo-chan, that isn't possible-"

"I saw it, Kurai-kun. Somehow, some way, Naruto managed to defeat the one person we all thought invincible."

"Are you sure it wasn't his team?"

"His team was incapacitated. Sasuke was drained of chakra, and Sakura was pinned to a tree by one of the Shukaku's arms. It was the fear for his friends that spurred Naruto to action."

"There's just no way-"

"Believe it, Kurai. That kid did what none of us could. Even we never managed to crack through Gaara's defense," Kohaku stated flatly.

"**How**?" Senjo stood and brushed her clothes off, walking past Kurai into the entryway of the apartment.

"I'll find out for you, Kurai-kun. After all, I wouldn't be a decent interrogator if I left some questions unanswered." She was gone a moment later, leaving the other two to shake their heads.

"See what you started?" Kohaku accused.

"What I started? It was your idea to find out more about these kids. Now that we've finally found something, Senjo is just following up."

"I don't think it's such a great idea to go poking around in Konoha's secrets. Someone might get suspicious."

"Let them. If we get answers to our questions, it'll be worth any sacrifice."

"That'd what I'm afraid of."

* * *

The streets were still teeming with a fair amount of people in the late twilight, and Senjo kept herself to the shadows at the edge of the groups. Mostly children and those returning home from a day's work were left, but a few ninja seemed to be on patrol, or just taking their time walking. As she passed by a ramen shop, she heard the unmistakable sound of Naruto loudly asking for seconds. He was seated next to a Chuunin who was asking how his day went and wondering what he was doing the next day. The way the man was talking made him sound like an older brother, or even… Maybe he was Naruto's father? They certainly didn't look alike from the glimpses she caught when the curtains moved, but then again she didn't know what his mother looked like either. Shrugging, she pushed back the curtain and waited a moment to be acknowledged. "Ah, a pretty customer! Come in, miss. What can I get you?" the man behind the counter asked.

"Miso ramen, please," she ordered, taking a seat on the other side of Naruto. "Hello again, Naruto." He turned and smiled at her, putting his bowl down for a moment.

"Hello, Senjo. You like ramen too?"

"I was in the mood for it tonight. So, is this your father?" She nodded her head at the older man, and was surprised when they both stared at her and started laughing.

"Iruka-sensei, my father? No, he was the one who gave me this," Naruto explained, readjusting his forehead protector. Senjo blushed a bit at her blunder, but smiled nonetheless. The older man -Iruka- was looking at her oddly, and she needed to act as naturally as possible. "I thought you were a great mind-reader?" Senjo paled, and she noticed both Iruka and the ramen-maker looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"I only do that when it's necessary," she quickly said, sighing inwardly when she was handed her ramen bowl. _'This isn't good. I need to get Naruto away from these two and talk to him more.'_

"Read minds? And you're from the Sand village?" Iruka asked, staring at her and quickly assessing what he saw. He didn't have too much familiarity with the dress codes of the Hidden Village of Sand, but he was pretty sure this girl was still a Genin. He'd seen her and the other two around the village, and only the boy wore the Sand Chuunin vest. He needed to see if she'd taken the exam and what exactly she could do.

"We all have our specialties." Senjo focused on her ramen, and Naruto went back to his. Iruka waited a few moments, then stood up.

"Well Naruto, I have to get back to the academy and make sure it's all ready for the morning. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Iruka-sensei!" When the elder ninja passed by her, Senjo could sense him staring at her. He would be watching from the shadows, so she wouldn't be able to find out anything tonight. Oh well, at least the ramen was good. She finished her bowl and quickly paid the owner, leaving Naruto alone at the counter. "Going already?"

"I have to get back and make sure my teammates haven't killed each other."

"That's like how Sakura acts with me and Sasuke. She's always trying to keep the peace, and he never acknowledges her. I try, but she ignores me."

"You'll find someone who won't ignore you, Naruto. Someone who loves you for who you truly are. I told you before, you're a good person."

"Thank you, Senjo." She smiled and walked away, looking around for the elder ninja when she was a few feet away.

"I know you're watching me," she said to the shadows around her. "And there's nothing you can learn by tailing me." He stepped out of a side street, staring intently at her with one hand one his weapon pouch. "Did you plan to kill me?"

"Of course not. But I want to know why you have an interest in Naruto."

"He defeated Gaara. Why wouldn't I have an interest in him? He did what no one in my village could even dream of."

"Why's that? Gaara is a Genin. I saw the paperwork myself."

"You never fought him." She went to turn, but he got in front of her, and Senjo feared he might try something. When he grabbed her arm, she already had a genjutsu ready just in case.

"Leave Naruto alone. He doesn't need to be caught up in some plot of the Sand."

"Even if we had the manpower to carry out any plots against Konoha, none of them would involve your student. He's too innocent."

"What's this, a lover's quarrel?" a new voice asked. Senjo and Iruka both turned to see a white-haired man in odd clothes walking down the street towards them. As he got closer, Senjo realized he was slightly drunk, and seemed to be staring at her.

"Jiraiya-sama?" Iruka said in surprise, letting go of her arm. "What are you doing here?" The other man smiled brightly, eyes never leaving Senjo.

"I came to check on Naruto, and to see if I could get some research done. Who are you? A new face around here is always good."

"I'm Senjo," she replied, mentally biting her tongue as she used her "happy, bright voice". "And you're Jiraiya?" He puffed up his chest and beamed at her. Iruka quickly made an exit, wanting to get back and look up the Sand girl at the academy.

"I am a famous writer and lover of women everywhere. I have studied the secrets of the mountain and learned the ways of the mighty frog. I am-"

"Perverted hermit," Naruto said, as he strolled up. Jiraiya fell over and stood up quickly, an annoyed look on his face.

"Naruto, I am trying to do research here. What did you want?"

"Senjo's not that type of girl," the blonde replied, walking away with hands behind his head. "Good night." Jiraiya shook his head and turned back to the girl- only to find that she seemed a lot older than he'd previously thought. What he'd first thought was a fourteen year-old was actually a twenty-something year-old

_'Lucky,'_ he said to himself. "So, Senjo, was it? Would you like to help me with a bit of research and have a good time?"

"Sure," she replied, flipping her hair behind one ear. "I just love having a good time." Jiraiya's face went red as his jaw dropped, and he extended an arm to her, which she accepted. _'Kurai, you better appreciate this.'

* * *

_

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when both Kurai and Kohaku were woken out of a sound sleep by the door opening. Senjo stumbled in, her eyes bleary and cheeks showing the slight blush of too much drinking. "Senjo, are you all right?" Kohaku asked, rushing to steady her friend. Kurai quirked an eyebrow, but made no move to help.

"What happened to you?" he asked, leaning against the wall with his arms over his chest. Both girls stared at him as they made their way into the sleeping room.

"You owe me," Senjo replied as Kohaku kicked her sleeping mat open and got her down onto it.

"I'll ask again, what happened to you?"

"I was with a perverted hermit all night." Senjo flopped onto her side and felt the cool pillow beneath her head, wanting only to sleep. The events of the night were still a bit of a blur, and she was almost grateful. She'd deal with it once she was sober again. Kohaku's eyes widened, but Kurai just smirked.

"What were you doing with him, Senjo?" the brunette girl wondered.

"Gathering information, like I said I would."

"You were with a perverted hermit all night and I owe you? Sorry Senjo, I can't reflower you." He easily caught her hand when she went to hit him, and stared at her angry eyes from mere inches away.

"It wasn't like that, idiot. We just drank a lot, and talked about stupid things. But I got what we wanted to know." She sank back down onto her mat and grabbed at the blanket, pulling it over her head. "Now all I want to do is sleep."

"What did you learn?"

"Kurai, let her sleep. She's had a long night," Kohaku chided.

"And we need to know-"

"It can wait until later. Now go away and let me sleep," Senjo said, glaring up at him. Kurai frowned but left the room. Kohaku lingered a moment, staring at her friend's back and wondering if letting her go off alone had been wise.

"Nothing happened, Kohaku. It wasn't like that time with Kuro." The mention of that name sent shivers up both girls' spines.

"All right, I'll let you sleep then. We'll talk later." When she was alone, Senjo curled up into a ball, trying to get the image of a sneering, determined face out of her mind. Instead she thought of her talk with Naruto, but even that changed to an image of a red-faced demon, fangs bared in mindless anger.

"He's nothing like that. I've seen true demons. Naruto isn't one of them."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kurai was gone by the time Senjo awoke. Kohaku was sitting out on the balcony, staring at the street and the people walking by. "No work today?"

"My repair crew is off for the day, but we start again at sunrise tomorrow to fix the last of the houses. What about you?"

"The hospital staff said I could have a day off, but they'd send a runner if they needed my help calming anyone."

"I still can't believe they trust us enough to have you working with the injured. Aren't they worried you'll twist their minds against Konoha?" Kohaku teased.

"I guess not. Must be my innocent nature that lets them trust me."

"Senjo, you are anything but innocent." When the other girl didn't respond, Kohaku looked over to see her head down and shoulders slumped. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I had nightmares again. About that night." Senjo sat next to her friend, leaning against her shoulder and feeling safe for just a moment as Kohaku embraced her.

"Want to talk about it?"

"That requires thinking about it more. We both have our demons, Kohaku. Lucky that ours just have names that aren't easy to forget."

"Kurai has his own demons to deal with. Everyone does."

"Gaara doesn't count. But- Oh, I see." They were silent for a moment, both focusing on the people walking by. "Where's Kurai?"

"His crew was scheduled to fix the wall surrounding the village today. Then he said something about finding a place to train for a bit."

"Oh."

"So, what did you find out about Naruto?"

"You're not going to believe it, but I trust my source."

"Why's that?"

"He trained Naruto for the month between the Chuunin fights. And from what I saw, he's a pretty powerful ninja."

"I wonder why he'd take an interest in a goofy kid?"

"Naruto's no ordinary kid, Kohaku. There's a reason why he beat Gaara, and why he's the only one who could."

* * *

**Whack!** Kurai's leg connected with the trunk of the tree, and he frowned at the slight twinge that raced up the limb. He hit the tree again, ignoring the pain as he focused his mind on becoming empty. It was a trick he'd nearly perfected, and it helped him focus on the task at hand rather than anything inconsequential. Again and again he attacked the wood, switching to his fists every now and then. And all the while, he tried to get Senjo's words out of his head. "Gathering information with a perverted old man? She swore that they just drank, but what if-"

_'You owe me.'_

"Senjo learned everything from her mother, but she promised never to go that far. I know she wouldn't intentionally go back on her word, but-"

_'I was with a perverted hermit all night.'_ Kurai narrowed his eyes and kicked the tree one last time, putting all his frustration into it. He heard the wood splinter and felt it give a little. The trunk had indeed cracked, but not enough to topple it.

"Senjo is mine, and no one else's."

"You're pretty good against unarmed trees," a slightly familiar voice said. "How about trying those moves on a real opponent?" Uchiha Sasuke stood at the edge of the clearing, a smug look on his face. Kurai returned the smirk and flexed his arms and legs to loosen the joints.

"Sounds fine. But until I find a real opponent, I guess you'll do."

* * *

Kohaku sat with her mouth hanging slightly open, staring at Senjo as the girl finished explaining what she'd discovered. "You're right, I don't believe it."

"Just think of the power he has. And from what I saw, he's only just begun to tap into it. The Shukaku never had a chance when Naruto became its opponent."

"Still, that kind of power in a human body is dangerous. Who would do that to a child?" Senjo frowned slightly, rolling her eyes.

"Our Kazekage, for one. But you're right, this village doesn't seem to be the type to do that. Unless they had no other choice."

"Why not give the power to an adult? Surely one of the Jounins at that time could've handled it."

"Well, who would suspect a little blonde-haired kid to have the Kyuubi? He wouldn't be as big a target as a regular ninja."

"True. And speaking of targets, I have a favor to ask, Senjo."

"Sure, what is it?" Kohaku was silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to word her request. She could always force the other girl to help her, but she didn't want to have to resorts to threats- at least not yet.

"I want to do something to help that girl Sakura. She's going through what I did, and I don't want the same thing to happen to her. We need to show that Uchiha kid what he's doing to her."

"Kohaku, you know as well as I that we could get in serious trouble if we tried anything. How were you planning on convincing him, anyway?

"Your Seiryoku akuma (Forced Nightmare Technique)."

"Absolutely not! I hate that technique, you know that! It can warp people's minds if I'm not careful, and it has the possibility of killing them. Why-"

"Because I don't want to see some other kid turn into Tansei. I couldn't do anything to help him or myself back then, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone else suffer like that!" Senjo stared at her friend, seeing the tears that threatened to spill over. The look in her eyes was equal parts anger and compassion.

"Kurai was right. You **do** feel guilty."

"It's not guilt, it's empathy. I know what Sakura is going through, and I have a way to help her. But I need your help, Senjo. Please, I don't want to see her hurt like I was. I know Sasuke's capable of doing what Tansei did, and I want to stop it before he even gets the idea in his head." The silence stretched on for a good five minutes, Senjo staring at her lap and Kohaku clasping her hands together in what looked like prayer.

"All right, I'll do it. But we need to make sure that no one else interferes. We'll take him somewhere in the forest after we knock him out. And then after it's done, we leave him for someone else to find."

"Deal. Now let's go. I have a pretty good idea of where to find him."

* * *

Back in the clearing, Kurai and Sasuke circled each other warily. That the Sand ninja had no visible weapons in no way made the fight easier. He was a Chuunin with at least a year's experience behind him. "So why wasn't a Genin team sent? Did your village have no use for you?"

"You met the only Genins we had this year. We were sent to avoid conflicts both here and back home." Kurai rushed forward, fist out in a slam attack, but Sasuke flipped over his head and made to sweep out the other boy's legs. Kurai instead trapped the leg and aimed a kick at his opponent's head. Sasuke caught the limb and threw him, but Kurai got a handful of his shirt and pulled him over as well. Both boys were instantly on their feet, smirks gone and eyes focused on the fight.

"Were they worried about an uprising after the Kazekage died?"

"They were worried that I would challenge Gaara." Sasuke initiated the next attack, jumping into the air and forming seals.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu (Fire Element: Grand Fireball)" Kurai met the ninjutsu with one of his own:

"Kaze no Yaiba (Wind Blade)." Even before the fire was out, Sasuke had a kunai out and activated the Sharingan. He was behind Kurai and had the blade to his back before he realized he was staring at a clone. "Fuuton: Sakashima senpuu (Air Element: Reverse Whirlwind)." Sasuke was knocked to the ground and held there as the mini tornado wound itself down. Kurai was nowhere to be seen, but he was still close by, that much Sasuke knew.

"Why would you challenge Gaara?" he called out. "Isn't everyone in your village afraid of him?"

"I'm not everyone else," Kurai said as he leapt down from a nearby tree. "I can stand on equal ground with that monster." His eyes flicked to Sasuke's, and he frowned slightly _'He's using his bloodline limit already? Am I really that much of a challenge for him?'_ Not wasting another moment, Kurai sped towards his opponent, kunai out and meeting the other head-on. Sasuke blocked very well, and he quickly tried to grab a shuriken from his pouch, but Kurai saw the move and bore down with his full weight, knocking them both to the ground. Sasuke got to his feet first, and went into a handstand-kick, pivoting once he was in range. Kurai got first one leg, then the other, but saw the punch just as it connected with his chest. He was airborne for a moment, and Sasuke was suddenly beneath him, kicking this time into his back. Kurai had only a moment before the next hit came, and he formed the short succession of seals almost instantly. "Fuuton: Chiri gufuu (Air Element: Dust Tornado)." Sasuke was caught by the choking wind, but he quickly got to the side and ricocheted off a tree. He was above Kurai now, and by the look on his opponent's face, he was clearly surprised. Sasuke brought his leg down on Kurai's chest, which the latter managed to block at the last moment with his wrists.

"Shishi Rendan (Lion Combo)!" The move drove both boys back to the ground, where they stared at each other for a moment. Kurai was not letting go of his leg, and Sasuke did not have much leverage at the angle he was leaning at. "Why do you fight so hard? Why do you want to face Gaara?"

"Have you ever wanted to defeat someone so badly, that your blood quickens whenever you even hear their name? Have you ever trained, day in and day out, to make sure you were superior to that person? And have you ever watched them and realized deep down, that no matter what you do, you still can't defeat them?" Sasuke's eyes reverted to normal, and he stared down at the older Sand ninja, seeing in his eyes the truth of his own struggle.

"Yes." Kurai was about to sit up, when he suddenly saw Sasuke stiffen. A moment later the dark-haired boy toppled over, eyes closed. Kohaku and Senjo stood over him, and he saw that Kohaku had used the flat of one of her staff's blades to knock Sasuke out. They had been so wrapped up in their fight that neither had felt the girls' presence, and now he glared at them.

"I'm in the middle of something."

"Not anymore," Kohaku stated. "We're borrowing your sparring partner for a little while."

"Like hell you are. I'm not done with him."

"Actually Kurai-kun, I'd say you are. Seems to me that Sasuke won that round. He had you pinned," Senjo noted. She received a growl in response.

"You're interfering. I'm not in a good mood right now-"

"I don't care. There's something we need to take care of, and you getting your ass beat by a Leaf Genin can wait. If you're so upset, go finish knocking down that tree," Kohaku told him, nodding her head at the cracked one he'd been working on earlier. Before he could make a retort, she grabbed the back of Sasuke's shirt and began dragging him away. "Senjo, we're leaving."

"Coming, Kohaku-chan!" The redhead picked up Sasuke's legs, and Kohaku repositioned herself and her staff to get underneath his arms. They walked off without another word. Kurai slammed his fist into the nearest tree, ignoring the trickle of blood from his now-split knuckle.

"Damnit!" He swore to the silent forest. "What the hell are they planning?"

* * *

The section of woods the girls found was a fair distance from the village walls, and it didn't look like anyone had been in the area for a while. "Let's get this over with before a patrolling ANBU team shows up," Senjo said as they quickly tied Sasuke securely to a tree. The redhead stared at the boy, absent-mindedly brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"You sure you can do this?"

"I promised you I would, Kohaku-chan. Now I just need a moment." Senjo closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She had not used this technique since the Chuunin exam, when it had won her her final fight, but left her opponent a gibbering mess. She needed to focus and concentrate on what she wanted the nightmare to contain. Sasuke's mind would fill in the rest, and she only needed to maintain the genjutsu's world from there on. She opened her eyes and worked through the seals, placing her fingers on Sasuke's temples when she was done. The side effect was that she would see what he saw, and she steeled herself for the images that would soon come. "Ninpou: Seiryoku akuma (Forced Nightmare Technique)." Then, there was darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Sasuke came to with a throbbing in the back of his head, and he could feel a lump starting to form. "Did that Sand ninja get behind me somehow?" But he didn't see his opponent anywhere in the immediate area. However, when he went to move, he found he'd been tied to a tree! "What the hell?"_

_"Look who's awake," an unfamiliar voice said as Sasuke's head shot up and saw a black-robed figure. The hood of the robe hid the person's face from view, but the voice was definitely male. He held a kunai, and seemed to be standing in front of something._

_"Who are you?" he demanded, struggling against the ropes only to find that they were wrapped rather tight. The figure laughed and stepped back, revealing Sakura and Naruto bound at his feet!_

_"Sasuke-kun!" the pink-haired girl yelled._

_"Sasuke!" Naruto echoed, writhing like a worm on a hook._

_"Who am I?" the stranger asked, bending over Naruto. "I'm the instrument of their deaths." The kunai plunged downward into Naruto's back, and the blonde coughed up blood and stopped moving. The blade came down again, but Naruto sat up and knocked it away with his legs in a move that made the wound on his back bleed faster. "So brave this one. All to save her," the stranger noted, not even bothering to retrieve the lost kunai. He instead grabbed Sakura's neck and hauled her to her feet._

_"Sasuke-kun! Naruto!" she screamed as he landed a vicious punch to her gut, doubling her over. The next one came at her face, and Sasuke heard the sick sound of her nose breaking. Sakura slumped to the ground, blood and tears streaming down her face. Naruto tried to stand, but was caught in the side by a kick and toppled over again._

_"Stop it!" Sasuke screamed. "Leave them alone!"_

_"Why? They're so much fun to hurt. And once I'm done with them, I'll hunt down everyone in this village that you know, and make them suffer as well."_

_"Why are you doing this? Did Orochimaru send you?" Instead of answering, the man grabbed Sakura by the hair and slammed her head into the ground, seeming to revel in her pained screams._

_"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled out, wiggling around in an attempt to break the ropes. Sasuke saw his eyes bleed red, and the marks on his face become more pronounced. But the stranger turned and drew another kunai from his long sleeve, advancing on the boy._

_"This will make sure you stay still." He drove the knife once more into Naruto's back, and left it there. He screamed and stiffened, and Sasuke saw his legs go slack. The man had just paralyzed him!_

_"I have to do something. I have to get to them." But the ropes only seemed tighter than ever, and Sasuke couldn't even make a seal to call the fire to break them. Once more Sakura was picked up by the stranger, and her head lolled to one side, one eye still open._

_"Sasuke-kun," she said softly, reaching out her hand to him. "Help me." _

_"He can't help you. He couldn't even defeat me." One hand moved to the stranger's hood, and he quickly pulled it down. Sasuke's heart skipped a beat as he gazed at the dark hair, Konoha forehead protector, and the Sharingan eyes. _

_"Itachi!"_

_"You will never be strong enough to defeat me." The rage boiled over the breaking point, and Sasuke felt the cursed seal stir, but he welcomed the power it brought. His eyes shifted to the Sharingan, and he let out a primeval scream.

* * *

_

"Kohaku, something's wrong!" Senjo called out, her body fighting for control of the genjutsu. "He's trying to break out." Her teammate was beside her in a moment, watching the battle of will between the two shinobi. Sasuke's breathing was erratic, and he kept whispering something she couldn't quite make out. Suddenly his eyes snapped open, and both girls saw the red pupils that gave away the use of the Uchiha bloodline.

"Sharingan, shit!" Kohaku pulled Senjo back, and the ropes snapped a moment later. Sasuke stood staring at them, but his eyes didn't seem to be able to focus perfectly. Without warning, what looked like flames spread halfway across his body, becoming the tattoo-like symbols that Senjo had seen in Naruto's memories. "What is that?"

"I don't know, but he had that same design when he fought Gaara."

"Where is Itachi?" Sasuke yelled, taking a step forward, glaring at them.

"This is not good. He's still partially in the genjutsu. We need to snap him out of it," Senjo realized. Kohaku pushed the redhead behind her, bringing her staff into a defense position. She did not have a good feeling about this.

"There's no time for that, Senjo. Go get Kurai."

"What? I'm not leaving-"

"Yes, you are. Find Kurai and bring him back here. I'll hold him back until then." Senjo looked ready to argue, but Sasuke charged at them, and the girls jumped aside. Senjo was in the trees and racing away a moment later, hoping Kurai had not gone far from where they'd last seen him.

"Where is Itachi?" she heard Sasuke ask louder this time. The question was followed by the clack of wood on kunai.

"Hang on, Kohaku-chan. I'll be back soon."

* * *

Kohaku's arms tingled as Sasuke charged once more, kunai landing hard on her staff. There was no way she could just keep defending against the blows, but she needed to stall until backup arrived. Seizing a moment when Sasuke pulled back to assess the situation, she formed a few short seals and prayed her idea would work. "Hinote bunshin no jutsu (Fire Clone)!" Two clones appeared next to her, each with staffs of their own. They got into a triangle formation, but Sasuke just smirked and shook his head. His eyes were now clearer, but Kohaku was sure that he was still partially seeing the nightmare.

"Those won't work against me. I can tell which one is real." He charged at her, but one of her clones got in front of her, and Kohaku leapt out of the way. Sasuke's strike went right through the fake, but instead of dissolving away, the clone became a flame that attached itself to his arm, clinging to his skin and clothing. He dropped to the ground and rolled to put the fire out, which proved easy enough. When he got back up, he saw neither the clone nor the foreign ninja. "You can't hide from me! Where is Itachi? Why did you bring him here?" Kohaku and her clone were both in the trees, and they caught each other's eyes and nodded. She had discovered that the bit of chakra used to create them also gave them an intelligence that she hadn't first thought possible. But she and her clones had been able to thwart enemies before with tactics mostly saved only for actual teammates. To the Sand girl, these extensions of herself were every bit as useful as a teammate in combat, even if they were very fragile. She hit the ground running, and her clone echoed the movement as they passed Sasuke and raced around him in a circle. They charged forward at the same time, and each grabbed one of Sasuke's wrists and ran at the nearest tree, slamming him into it. But a moment later, Kohaku realized that instead of a body, there was a log lying on the ground.

"Shit, he's fast," she whispered, taking up a fresh grip on her staff. Her clone sprang back into the trees, and the clearing was quiet for a moment. "Did he get away?" A moment later she felt shuriken whiz by her head, and ducked to avoid a fatal shot. One got her in the shoulder though, and another nicked her forehead protector. Sasuke was next to her in an instant, locking her arms behind her back and pressing her into the ground with one foot.

"I'll ask you once more: Where is Itachi?"

"If I knew who that was, I'd tell you."

"Don't play games. I saw him standing here a few minutes ago. First Orochimaru gets to the Sand, and now my brother is using them?"

"Brother?" Sasuke pulled on her arms, and Kohaku bit her lip and refused to cry out. She knew he could dislocate her shoulders if he wanted, but that was nothing compared to having them broken in multiple places. However, she wanted to end this day with minimal injuries, and so she dropped down quickly, pushing off with her knees and rolling both of them forward. She landed on top and quickly pinned him down, but Sasuke rocked a few times and bucked her off. He stood and drew another kunai from his pouch, advancing on her. Kohaku blocked the slice with her arm, and winced when she felt the blade dig into her skin. Sasuke's grin reminded her of Tansei, and her eyes widened for a moment. Just then, she saw a shape land on Sasuke's back, and he screamed and pulled away. Kohaku stood and jumped back, only to see her clone let go of him and retreat a few steps away. Sasuke stared at the clone for a moment, and then his eyes slid to Kohaku.

"I have better things to do than deal with you." Kohaku saw the seals, and she knew she couldn't dodge the attack in time. She knelt and put both hands on the ground, hoping she could protect herself enough. Sasuke leapt into the air, and her clone got into position in front of her, arms up in what seemed like a futile block attempt. But Kohaku knew this was going to be potentially bad. She always created two clones: The first one would dissolve into flame when attacked. The second was more volatile, and would explode when struck. And an exploding clone struck by a fire attack was going to create a large mess. She was about to shove her chakra into the ground, when she saw the one thing she'd feared above all else.

"Sasuke-kun, Kohaku, stop!" Sakura yelled as she ran into the clearing. But it was too late, and Kohaku was on her feet as Sasuke unleashed his attack.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu (Fire Element: Grand Fireball)!"

_'Make in time,'_ Kohaku told herself, as she heard the attack strike her clone.

* * *

Senjo found Kurai exactly where they'd left him. She saw with slight amusement that he'd felled the tree he'd hit earlier, and was now working on a second one with decent results. "Kurai, we've got trouble!" she shouted before she even touched the ground.

"That's nice." He didn't even pause or look at her.

"No, you don't understand. Sasuke went crazy after I used my nightmare technique. He forced his way out of it."

"That's nice."

"Damnit Kurai, Kohaku's fighting him all by herself. She told me to come find you because she needs help. Don't you care?" He stopped hitting the tree and turned to face her, eyes dark and angry. Senjo took a step back, and he was in her face a moment later, backing her against a tree.

"You both should've thought of that before you took him away. I was fine sparring with him, and now he's your problem." Senjo balled her hands into fists as her arms went rigid at her sides.

"She needs your help, idiot! We don't know what he's capable of, but he's still partially trapped in my technique. You're the only one who can help her."

"Kohaku can take care of herself." He turned away, and then felt a kick to his groin that he hadn't predicted. Senjo bent down when he doubled over, her eyes brimming with tears and her voice soft.

"Our teammate, my friend, your sister, is in trouble. She needs you, Kurai-kun. She asked me to get you. Please help her. Sasuke is at least twice as strong as he was before." He stayed doubled over for a moment, thinking over her words, then straightened up.

"Did you say twice as strong?" She nodded, and he straightened up as a smile crept over his face. "I always enjoy a new twist on an old challenge."

"I love it. Kohaku being in mortal peril isn't enough, but when I tell you that your sparring partner got stronger, that peaks your interest. Men." Senjo shook her head and stepped closer to him.

"Let's hurry before-" They heard an explosion not too far away, and both of them paled. "Shit! Let's go, Senjo!" They were racing away through the trees a moment later.

* * *

Kohaku coughed a few times to get the dust and smoke out of her lungs. Stone shields did not make a great barrier against that kind of stuff. Everything hurt, but not enough to prevent small movements. Looking down at the girl in her arms, Kohaku saw that she was breathing, but looked unconscious. "Well, I made it in time."

"Found you," a harsh voice said from above. Looking up, she saw that Sasuke was standing not two feet away, still covered in those tattoos and the Sharingan active.

"Don't come any closer." She put Sakura down behind the rock as much as she could and stood up slowly, wincing when her knee popped slightly. _'I'll have to put that back into place later.'_ Sasuke advanced anyway, staring straight at her. If he saw or recognized Sakura, he showed no sign of it. She didn't have the strength left to fight, but she would protect Sakura as much as she could.

"Get away from her!" Kohaku heard the familiar voice, and fell to her knees when Kurai and Senjo burst into the slightly burned clearing. The redhead ran to her friend's side, but she shook her head and pointed at the Leaf girl.

"See to her first. I'll deal until then." Kurai was assessing the situation, and he could see why Kohaku had sent for him. Sasuke's chakra output was more than twice what it had been when they fought, and he ground his teeth in frustration.

_'Was he just toying with me? It's not like I put my all into our fight, but I didn't think he was hiding something this big. I might have to use my own ability.'_ Sasuke's attention was drawn to him, and the boy charged full force at him. Kurai leapt out of the way easily, and threw an attack out to catch him off balance.

"Kaze no Yaiba (Wind Blade)." Sasuke stood there while the chakra-laced wind swirled around him, seemingly ignoring it. "Oh-" Another charge, but this one caught him and sent both of them sprawling to the ground. Sasuke was on his feet first, coming down with a leg meant to snap Kurai's spine, but he rolled out of the way.

"You're underestimating him, he's not the same. You must fight seriously. Kurai, use it!" Kohaku called out.

"I'm not going to waste that on him." He watched Sasuke leap into the air, forming seals as he did so. Kohaku got in front of Senjo, one hand on the ground.

"Block that!" she ordered, concentrating on her own technique. "Ganseki toku (Rock Shield)." The earth responded by producing another protective covering that hid all three girls from any large area effect. Kurai had a fair-size rock in his hand and frowned as he quickly molded his chakra into it_. 'Been a while since I've needed to do this.'_ The stone flattened out and lengthened, becoming a katana that he brandished like an expert. He leapt at the dark-haired boy just as the attack commenced:

"Ishi no Yaiba (Stone Blade)."

"Katon: Housenka no jutsu (Fire Element: Phoenix Fire)!" Kurai took a hit to his off-hand, which he was using to block anyway. But he burst through the fireballs and was directly in Sasuke's face. He struck with the sword, but Sasuke caught it at the last moment, and the tip caught his shoulder. They landed with Kurai pressing the blade down, using his size as an advantage to try and pin the other boy. Sasuke's strength was impressive, but the blade bit down a little more.

"Give up?" Kurai wondered, staring into the red eyes and noting the flame-like tattoos. Was this some sort of side-effect to using the Sharingan? It actually looked kind of interesting, and a little intimidating.

"Never." Kurai focused a bit more chakra into the blade, feeling it change even as the two continued their power struggle.

"Good. I hate quitters." He pulled the sword free of Sasuke's flesh, noting how the small hooks he'd made ripped into more of his shoulder. It should either be useless, or at least hurting severely at that point. They jumped back and landed with their eyes on each other, both breathing slightly fast. The dark-haired boy smirked after a moment, and he pointed at Kurai.

"I bet you know where Itachi is." Kurai had heard that the Uchiha clan had been eliminated by a person named Itachi. Though he didn't know anything else about Itachi, he would play along with Sasuke. He never turned down an opportunity for an interesting fight. Senjo and Kohaku peeked out from behind their safety rock, trying to decide who was winning.

"Maybe I do. What of it?" Sasuke's smirk disappeared as he formed seals that Kurai didn't recognize. He put his left hand down and held it with the other, and as they all watched, chakra began to form in his hand like bolts of lightning drawn downward.

"Kurai, get away!" Senjo called out as Kohaku stood once more.

"Get Sakura out of here. I need to help him." She was moving even as Sasuke charged forward, the ball of chakra in his hand screaming like the calls of hundreds of birds. She remembered Temari saying that this move was what had first injured Gaara through his cocoon of sand. Kurai already had one hand on the ground and barely looked up when she fell next to him. "We need to block."

"Then hurry up." The two put their hands on the ground and focused their chakra.

"Ganseki toku: Nibai kyouko (Rock Shield: Double Strength)." The earth complied and raised a barrier a few feet above their heads in between them and Sasuke, who at that point reached the rock and shoved his hand into it.

"Chidori (Thousand Birds)!"

"Sasuke!" The rock partially exploded, but the bottom two feet held together, and Kurai and Kohaku flattened themselves to avoid the worst of the debris. A moment later, they heard Sasuke struggling, and looked up to see an ANBU squad wrestling him to the ground. And standing over them was the Jounin that led his team: Copy Ninja Kakashi. "Would someone mind explaining this mess?" he asked, staring at them.

"Hey, I need a medic over here!" Senjo yelled, dragging Sakura into the open. One of the ANBU team was by her side a moment later, asking her what had happened and where the worst injuries were.

"I'll ask again, what happened?"

"We're not sure," Kohaku replied, staring directly into his eye. "Senjo and I were out walking when we heard a scream. We found Sasuke like that, and he kept asking where Itachi was." They saw his eyebrow quirk, but he said nothing. "I told Senjo to get Kurai so we could restrain Sasuke, and while she was gone he attacked me. Sakura got in the middle, and then all of the reinforcements arrived at once."

"Kakashi-san, you should see this," one of the ANBU said. He walked over to Sasuke, who was slowly getting the seal under control. He felt the foreign chakra and shook his head, bending down to whisper something in one of the people's ears. They nodded and flashed away.

"Remnants of a genjutsu. And a pretty powerful one. Did you see anyone else in this clearing when you arrived?" Both Kohaku and Senjo shook their heads, but Sasuke began squirming again, though not as violently.

"He was here, Kakashi-sensei. I saw him." The Jounin nodded and quickly scanned the trees. He was positive he wasn't getting the whole story, but for now he would let it go.

"Get them all to the hospital," he told the rest of the squad. All but Kurai flashed away, and Kakashi turned to face him. "What?"

"I figured you wanted to ask me some questions based on what you saw when you got here." There was one question, but he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"That wasn't a technique you used to form that rock wall."

"No, it wasn't."

"You have a bloodline limit allowing you earth control?"

"Something like that."

"So your teammate shares your bloodline? I saw her helping you."

"We're twins."

"You have a similar ability to Gaara then." Kurai's eyes narrowed and he turned away from the older ninja.

"Unlike that abomination, my ability is a true bloodline limit. Gaara was given our gift the day he was born. Do not ever compare me to that monster. He has perverted our family's secrets, and we have been forced to allow him to live. His creation mocked all that we ever stood for. I have hated him ever since."

* * *

Konoha Hospital was a flurry of activity when the ANBU squad arrived. Senjo was forced to wait outside the treatment rooms, and she knew it was futile to argue. More than likely they would question Kohaku further about the incident, and she wanted to be by her friend's side to make sure she was all right. However, with ANBU staying close by, all she could do was wait for Kurai to show up and then they would go see Kohaku. It wasn't long before she heard Naruto's voice echoing down the halls. "What do you mean I can't see her? Is Sakura-chan okay?"

"Naruto, leave the pretty nurses alone. Let's sit over here." Jiraiya and Naruto walked around the corner and sat in the chairs near Senjo. The blonde was staring at the floor and kicking his feet, a worried expression on his face. Senjo knew he was probably feeling like she was: Bothered by the fact that his friends were hurt, and wanting answers to what had happened. He turned to face her after a minute, attempting a smile.

"Did your team get hurt too?"

"Kurai will be okay, and only Kohaku was brought here, but she's not too bad off. She was more worried about Sakura."

"Even though we're still partial enemies?" Jiraiya asked, more to himself. He was looking directly at her, arms folded across his chest. Senjo was getting annoyed that everyone kept bringing that up. She knew it was going to happen, but the fact that they allowed her team into their village and still went on about the attack was bothering her.

"She feels a connection to Sakura that goes beyond village boundaries. And while I understand your anger at my people, our team did not participate in the attack."

"But you would have if ordered." The way he was staring at her made Senjo want to squirm. Naruto had never seen the perverted hermit this serious before, and it made him wonder if there was something going on that he didn't know about. However, the arrival of some Leaf Genins distracted them all momentarily.

"Naruto!" a blonde girl called out, two bouquets of flowers in her arms. "We just heard. Is Sasuke-kun all right? Where's Sakura?"

"Sasuke's fine, Ino. At least until I see him." Senjo felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, and looked quickly at Naruto. He was angry, and probably because the girl he cared about had been hurt, and he hadn't been able to protect her. But when a blue-haired girl with white eyes stepped in front of him, the anger seemed to diffuse slightly. She was tapping her fingers together, and seemed like she wanted to say something. Naruto was looking up at her, waiting to see what she said.

"Sakura will be okay, Naruto-kun," she said softly and with some hesitation. She then stepped back near a slightly-older boy who appeared to be her brother.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, smiling at her. Hinata blushed further and hid behind her "bodyguard".

"Is it true?" the white-eyed boy asked. "Did Sasuke go berserk?" He seemed to be looking at Senjo while keeping his eyes actually focused on the group. She stared back at him and blanked her mind, forcing a smile to her face. Kohaku had mentioned her run-in with a Hyuuga clan member on their way to get Sasuke. It would be bad if he suspected her of being involved with all this.

"I'm sure he had a reason," she replied. "He seemed certain that someone named Itachi was in the area." When she saw Jiraiya's eyes widen for a moment, she knew that whoever he was, Itachi wasn't a nice guy.

"Excuse me, but anyone who wants to see Haruno Sakura can come with me," a nurse interrupted. Everyone but Senjo and Jiraiya followed her, and Naruto nearly knocked the poor woman over in his haste to see Sakura. Senjo smiled for real as she watched them go, and then waited for the questions that she knew were coming.

"I could turn your whole team over to ANBU for what you did." His tone was casual, but she caught the dark undercurrent.

"There is no hard evidence, and Sasuke seems no worse for wear."

"Your genjutsu could have left him in a permanent state of rage. No one would've been able to reverse the effect, except possibly you. As it is, I'm still not entirely sure how you managed to read my mind." Senjo was impressed that he even knew what she had done, but smiled to herself that she had tricked a ninja older than her parents.

"It's not an unheard-of ability. I can meld my chakra with someone else's and see into their thoughts and emotions. It's no stranger than the Mind Body Switch Skill (Shintenshin no Jutsu) of Konoha's Yamanaka clan. And if Sasuke hadn't forced his way out of my technique, everything would've been fine."

"What were you trying to accomplish? You know how suspicious this must look; what with your village's former alliance with Orochimaru."

"I wasn't aware he had an interest in the village Genins."

"Why did you trap Sasuke?"

"He's very similar to someone we grew up with. Kohaku and I saw the similarities and wanted to intervene. My nightmare world was supposed to make him see where his current path will lead him. He was supposed to see himself hurting his friends, only that's not what happened. As much control as I have over what someone sees, their own thoughts and memories get intertwined. So Sasuke saw this Itachi hurting those he cared about instead of himself."

"Which was probably the worst thing he could see." When Senjo gave him a blank look, Jiraiya shook his head and stood up.

"You should check the bingo book more often. You'll find Itachi in there." He started to walk away down the hall, probably to follow one of the nurses, when he turned back and pointed a finger at her.

"Leave Naruto and his friends alone. They don't deserve to be played with. Soon enough they'll have other things to worry about." He was gone after that, and Kurai came striding up the hall, holding his burned arm to his chest.

"Senjo? Where's Kohaku?"

"Still in the treatment room. We're not allowed to see her yet." He sat beside her, one arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him out of habit, but he could tell she was bothered by something.

"What is it?"

"Kurai, I need to tell you what's been going on. And you have to promise me that you won't flip out and cause a scene."

"Why-"

"Promise me," she pleaded, eyes wide. He started to say something, closed his mouth, and nodded his head.

"I promise."

"All right, here's what we haven't been telling you…"

* * *

After she had been questioned by at least three different people about what had happened in the forest, Kohaku was finally allowed to rest. She knew ANBU would be watching them all closely from now on, and she cursed herself for allowing the situation to get so out of hand. Worse yet, she saw the worried looks on everyone's faces when they came to see Sakura. Her actions could've killed the very person she had been trying to protect, and it made her feelings of guilt even worse. "Hey, Sand girl?" Kohaku looked up to find Naruto standing next to her bed, smiling. "I just wanted to thank you for helping Sakura. Senjo said you were more worried about her than yourself."

"She was caught in the middle of a fight that should never have happened. I just didn't want an innocent bystander to get hurt."

"Well, I still want to thank you. We all do." Naruto motioned at his friends, and they all nodded. Kohaku saw Neji staring at her, and she didn't feel like hiding it anymore. They weren't trusted throughout the village already, so what was one more incident? All Kohaku wanted to do now was return home.

"It was nothing," she replied softly. A nurse knocked on the door and addressed the gathered children.

"All right, everyone, visiting hours are over. Sakura needs her rest, and Lee needs to get back to his room as well." Lee blushed and nodded, picking up his crutches and making his way slowly out the door. Neji followed him, and Ino, Naruto, and Hinata went their own way. The nurse closed the door and, silence enveloped the room.

"Sakura-"

"Kohaku, what made Sasuke-kun do that? I've only ever seen the cursed seal activated once, and it frightened me. Whatever or whoever angered him, Sasuke-kun seemed too deep to hear me this time."

"What do you mean?" Sakura took a deep breath, looking out the window for a moment as she contemplated telling Kohaku something she couldn't even tell Naruto.

"During our Chuunin exam, Orochimaru found us, and he marked Sasuke-kun with some sort of seal. He was sick for a few hours, and then it made him go berserk, but I somehow managed to snap him out of it. That was the first time I thought that I might actually be reaching him. But I guess he doesn't remember me doing that, or even what he asked me when he first released the seal."

"What did he ask you?"

"We were attacked by Sound ninjas, and both Naruto and Sasuke were unconscious, so I did my best to defend them. But they overpowered me, and I took a few hits to my head." She stuck her tongue out for a moment, then became serious once again. "Sasuke-kun had those black flames covering his body, and he asked me who had hurt me. I was too scared to answer him, but the man who had hit me said he had, and Sasuke-kun attacked him. He broke both his arms before I could stop him. That's why when I saw you two fighting, I wanted to stop him before he hurt you like Tansei had."

"Sakura…" Kohaku got off the bed she was on and walked over to the pink-haired girl, smiling sadly at her. "I'm so sorry this happened. I never meant for you to get hurt. I wanted Sasuke to see how he was hurting those who cared about him. But I never thought he'd break out of Senjo's technique. I never thought you'd be caught in the middle. I didn't think about a lot of things. I'm sorry." Sakura was staring at her now, eyes slightly wide. She'd had no idea that Kohaku had wanted to help her so much.

"I forgive you. I know you just wanted to help before the past repeated itself. But I think I'm going to try and help Sasuke-kun in my own way."

"Fair enough. If anyone can do it, I'm sure you can. He isn't completely like Tansei, and if he stays here, I'm sure he'll see that there's more to life than fighting."

"Maybe there's a way for you to reach your friend."

"That would be nice, but I don't even know where he is. A day or so after our fight, his entire team left the village and disappeared. We sent out search parties, but we never found them. We never labeled them missing-nins only because they're Genins, and the Kazekage didn't see them being able to do any great harm."

"Maybe one day you'll see them again, and they'll have changed."

"Maybe."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day proved relatively easy for the Sand ninjas. Jiraiya had apparently kept quiet about what he knew, and ANBU was at least staying out of their immediate way. Both Kohaku and Sakura were released from the hospital, and the work crews were finishing up the major repairs. "We'll have to go home soon," Senjo noted as she and Kohaku made their way through the streets.

"You sound disappointed."

"Well, it's kind of nice here, and the kids around our age seem friendly under the circumstances. There's a little something here for everyone."

"We're still in enemy territory, even if back home isn't much better. But you're right, it is nice here."

"Peaceful too. I bet once we leave-" Both girls suddenly froze, quickly glancing up and down the street. "You feel that?"

"Yes." High concentrations of chakra were approaching, and the two ninja quickly took to the roofs. It wasn't long before they saw two figures walking towards their location, both in red-patterned black robes with straw hats pulled over their faces. They walked slowly, almost casually, but they had a purpose.

"Think they're from another village?" Senjo whispered, eyes still following the strangers. Kohaku shook her head and smiled when she detected another chakra trail.

"I don't recognize their dress code, and their chakra is incredible. You going to follow them, Kurai?" Senjo whipped around when she heard him laugh, and he jumped over from the next roof. She was going to get herself killed if she didn't start paying attention to everything around her.

"I see that they caught your attention too. Any ideas?"

"Not a clue. So be careful, all right? And if they're from Sound village, let someone know right away."

"Fine, fine, I will. We'll meet back at the apartment." The girls nodded, and Kurai was off tracking the new shinobi.

* * *

_'This is boring,'_ Kurai said to himself as he watched the strangers eat. _'All they've done I walk around, and no one else seems to notice them. I should-'_ Kurai ceased his complaining when he saw Kakashi heading towards the building, only to lean against it reading. A few minutes later two more Jounins, a man and a woman, arrived, and he leaned forward to hear their conversation.

"…I'm meeting someone here. Sasuke, that is." Kurai saw one of the strangers stiffen momentarily, and they both put down their drinks.

"Oh it's unusual for you to wait for someone. Is the offering for Obito?" the man asked Kakashi as they all glanced into the building. Something was going on, but Kurai was only sure that they had picked up on the large amount of chakra the strangers were still giving off.

"Obito?" the woman asked, breaking her gaze to look at Kakashi.

"Something like that," he answered. Kurai's gaze did not move off the ninja in the building, when suddenly they were gone!

"Shit, they're fast," he swore, taking a moment to track their chakra. He found them on the next street over, still walking casually. He was about to give up on seeing anything useful, when the two Jounins that had been with Kakashi confronted them.

"You're not from this village, are you? Why did you come here?" the man demanded in a rough voice.

"It's been a while, Asuma-san, Kurenai-san," the shorter foreigner replied. Kurai was taken aback for a moment. How did he know them? Had a former Konoha ninja moved away and now suddenly come back? Did the death of the Hokage have anything to do with this?

"If you know us, you must be a former ninja of this village." There was a pause, and Kurai tried to get a better view from where he was observing in the bushes. The shorter man had raised the brim of his hat, and although Kurai couldn't clearly see his face, both Leaf Jounins pulled back. "Y-you're-" Another pause, and the stranger completely removed his hat and unbuttoned his coat with slow purpose. When one hand rested just inside his coat, he stared at them with Sharingan eyes and a Konoha forehead protector that had a deep gash through the metal plate. "No doubt about it, it's Uchiha Itachi," the man- Asuma said to his companion.

"Uchiha Itachi?" Kurai had checked the bingo book for information on the Itachi that Sasuke had mentioned. Only one man went by that name, and he was a missing-nin from Konoha. He had killed his entire clan four years ago, leaving only one survivor: Sasuke. Itachi was supposed to be a genius, having become a Jounin and ANBU squad leader at thirteen. "I was still in school when this guy was doing A-class missions." A sudden movement caught his eye, and Kurai saw Itachi's partner, now also without his hat, swing a bandage-wrapped blade at the Leaf ninjas. The woman- Kurenai, leapt back and formed seals that Kurai recognized as a genjutsu similar to what Senjo used to hide in plain sight. He watched the fight for a minute more before he felt his muscles ache to be a part of the action. When he saw Itachi break Kurenai's trap genjutsu, the Sand boy had a kunai in his hand before he even realized it. She landed on top of the water just as he stood to help, but someone was suddenly beside him, one hand on his shoulder.

"I mean no disrespect, but Itachi is out of your league," Kakashi said as two more of him appeared at the fight.

"How about you let me determine that."

"If you feel like dying needlessly, then go. But as your team's captain, wouldn't that be a waste?"

"How do you know that I'm the leader?"

"You wear the Chuunin vest and draw all the attention to yourself, allowing your teammates time to prepare. It's easy to see when you know what to look for. But listen carefully: Those two men belong to an organization called Akatsuki. I've been told they're looking for people of interest and power."

"Then-"

"Konoha will handle its own people. But your village has its own power to worry about. You need to warn them."

"Let this organization come and take Gaara. I don't care."

"They will destroy your village in their attempt to subdue Gaara. Somehow, I don't see you abandoning your home." The clone disappeared as Kurai heard Kakashi yell something to the others about closing their eyes. Whatever Itachi was about to do, Kurai had to leave and round up his team before he was spotted. As much as he hated the demon child of sand, he wasn't about to let the rest of the village go down in flames.

* * *

Senjo and Kohaku were on their way back to the apartment to wait for Kurai. On the way they passed a bridge and noticed two boys staring at the water in contemplation. Kohaku recognized them as Neji and his teammate Rock Lee. Both looked up as the girls approached, and Lee smiled at them. "Greetings. You are Kohaku, yes? The one who saved Sakura-san?" He looked so happy, so elated to meet them, that both of them looked at each other for a moment, not sure what to say.

"I didn't save anyone," Kohaku finally replied. "Sakura tried to stop Sasuke and myself from fighting, and I just didn't want her to get hurt. I would've done the same for any of my friends."

"Friends? But you're from Sand Village."

"Would you rather I not have tried to help?" Lee closed his mouth and scrunched his large eyebrows together.

"That is not what I meant. I-"

"It's all right. Kohaku's just being a smart ass," Senjo assured him, elbowing her teammate in the ribs. "But what are you doing outside the hospital? I know I've seen you there a few times."

"The doctors said that Lee should get some fresh air, and I'm here so that he doesn't overdo it," Neji answered. "We should head back in though, Lee."

"Okay Neji," the green-clad boy answered. Senjo was about to suggest that they continue on when she caught something in Kohaku's face that she hadn't seen in years: The brunette was biting her lip a little and staring at Neji. Her eyes were soft, and there was a slight blush to her cheeks that made her slightly-tan skin glow a little. She kept flexing her right hand like she was holding her staff, and the left kept coming up to play with a strand of loose hair near her ear. It was a slightly nervous stance, one that betrayed too many openings if kept up for too long. The only other person she'd ever stood like that for had been Tansei.

"Why don't I escort you up, Lee? I have a few last things to check in anyway. Kohaku, I'll meet you in a little while."

"Senjo, we-" Kohaku didn't get any more time to protest as Senjo practically glared at her and mouthed the words "talk to him" as she walked away. Neji watched his teammate and the other Sand girl walk away before he turned to face the brunette.

"What did you do to Sasuke yesterday? Why did he go berserk?" Kohaku sighed and again resolved not to hide it. She was leaving soon, so what did it matter if she was hated? At least Sakura had partially understood her reasoning.

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Just know that I never meant any harm to come to Sakura or Sasuke. I just wanted to prevent the past from repeating itself." She knew that Neji would pick up on her demeanor around the Konoha Genins, especially Sakura or anyone who mentioned her. He kept looking at the water, but she was sure that somehow he was also looking directly at her.

"Do you remember what I said to you when we first met?"

"You said that I was not a potential enemy as long as I didn't harm anyone."

"I said as long as you didn't attack anyone. You had the right idea, for the right reasons, but you lacked the right plan."

"So what does that mean?"

"I still don't consider you an enemy." He turned to go, and Kohaku wrestled with a question that was struggling in the back of her mind. Finally, she just decided to go for it, and reached out to touch Neji's arm.

"What would it take to consider me a friend?" He paused, then turned back to look at her with eyes that most people of her village might consider lifeless. To Kohaku, the white Hyuuga eyes were more expressive than anything she'd seen.

"To help us of your own free will. If you considered us friends first, I might extend the same courtesy to you." He walked away, and Kohaku leaned over the railing of the bridge, staring at her reflection in the water. Her forehead protector gleamed in the sun, and she smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Neji."

* * *

The three Sand ninjas arrived at the apartment all at once, and Kurai began packing his few belongings immediately. "Get your gear, we're leaving."

"What's the rush?" Kohaku asked, nevertheless beginning to gather her things.

"Those two strangers are part of a greater organization. Kakashi explained a little of it, and I checked the bingo book. All Akatsuki members are S-rank criminals, and they're taking other ninjas of interest and power from the hidden villages."

"Then Naruto-"

"He'll be fine, Senjo-chan. But we need to warn the Kazekage that our village will more than likely be a target."

"Gaara would fit right in with people like that," Kohaku predicted, shaking her head. "But he might still want to fight them for kicks."

"The village would be destroyed if he used a wide-scale attack. We need to hurry so that if Akatsuki does show, we can stop them before they meet him," Kurai added.

"Right." In ten minutes they were geared up, and Kurai was off to tell the elder council about their departure. Senjo went to alert the hospital, and Kohaku found herself walking towards the main gate.

"Kohaku!" a familiar voice called out. Sakura waved and ran over, carrying a wrapped bundle in her arms. "Oh, are you leaving for home?"

"Afraid so. Something urgent came up, and we need to head back right away."

"I hope everything's okay."

"It will be, so don't worry. I'll be seeing you, Sakura. It was nice getting to know you. Konoha is an interesting place."

"Same here. And I still owe you for helping me. I'll repay you somehow."

"You owe me nothing. If anything, I owe you for starting that whole mess." The two girls smiled softly, shook hands, and then Sakura went on her way. "I will prove myself to this village one day. I will aid it of my own will. And I will do it right next time," Kohaku whispered to herself.

* * *

Kurai was jogging towards the main gate when he noticed a figure leaning against the wall of a nearby building. He slowed to a walk and approached, a smirk beginning to form when he recognized Sasuke. "Yo," he greeted, raising a hand.

"What do you want?" Sasuke seemed a little lost in thought, but the attitude came back in an instant.

"Nothing, really. I was being civil, but that's not my normal style." He made to leave, but Sasuke stepped forward.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"I need to know something, and you seem like someone who gives straight answers. Kakashi-sensei told me there was a genjutsu on me, but I saw someone in that clearing." Kurai frowned a bit, thinking back to the fight he had just witnessed between the three Konoha Jounins and Itachi. There was no way that Sasuke could even hold a candle to that guy. Hell, Kurai wasn't even sure he could do anything to hurt him.

"Your brother." When the other boy looked up with wide eyes, Kurai continued: "I found out who Itachi was because all you wanted to know was where he was. But honestly, I only saw you and my sister in that place."

"So what did I see?"

"No idea. So Itachi is who you train to defeat?"

"No. I train to kill him." The look in the Leaf boy's eyes had gone dark and hateful. Kurai knew the look well only because his own eyes often held that look when he thought of Gaara and his many training sessions to take out the demon child.

"So we both want to kill the most impossible targets."

"That's what makes it so exciting. To finally have my revenge is something I've looked forward to for four years."

"Same here, but I've been training almost double what you have. Guess that means I'm better."

"You weren't so good when we fought," Sasuke shot back, mirroring Kurai's smirk. The Sand boy chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

"We were interrupted. You owe me a rematch, if only to prove who the better avenger is." Kurai extended his arm, and Sasuke grasped it, both with serious looks on their faces as they shook hands.

"Deal."

* * *

Senjo, for the third time that day, had just left the hospital. Up ahead she saw Naruto running down the street, a bright smile on his face. "Where's the fire?" she teased as he stopped in front of her, panting slightly.

"The perverted hermit is going to show me a new technique while we go look for this woman that he knows! Next time I see Sasuke, I'll beat him for sure."

"I didn't know you two were such big rivals."

"Of course we are. That's what being friends is partly about. When I beat Sasuke, he'll become stronger to try and beat me. He won't be able to, but we're still helping each other in that way too." He looked so happy, so excited to learn something that would give him an edge. "Hey, you look like you're going somewhere too," he added, nodding at her pack. Senjo shrugged and adjusted its weight on her shoulders.

"I am. We've been summoned home now that Konoha is doing okay. My team is probably waiting for me at the gate."

"Oh, well it was nice seeing you here, Senjo. You should come back and visit after I learn my new technique so I can show you." They both smiled, and Senjo giggled a little. Naruto amused her greatly, and she would miss him.

"I will, I promise." She started to walk away, when I question popped into her mind, and she felt that he was the right person to ask.

"Hey Naruto, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure."

"If you were to meet Gaara again, what would you do?" He was silent for a moment, eyes wide as he thought about all the things he might say or do. Finally, he looked up at the sky and replied:

"I'd thank him." Senjo couldn't hide the shock on her face or in her voice.

"Thank him? For what? He tried to kill you and your team, and he would've led my village in destroying Konoha. What could you possibly thank him for?"

"For showing me what I could've become. There's only one difference between us, Senjo. I have friends, and he has no one. I fight to protect my friends and the people of Konoha. Gaara fights to prove himself to himself. I used to do that, in a different way. But I would still thank him. And then I would offer to be his friend." She was still stunned, not sure what to say. Naruto gave a sad smile, and extended his hand. "So, friends?" Senjo took his hand and squeezed it, pulling him into a quick hug.

"Of course, Naruto. I wouldn't have it any other way." They went their separate ways, and Senjo soon saw Kurai and Kohaku waiting for her.

"You're late," Kurai scolded half-heartedly.

"Sorry, Kurai-kun. I was saying goodbye to some people."

"It's all right, but we need to get going," Kohaku said. The three of them walked past the gates and took to the trees instantly, hoping to arrive home before any Akatsuki members showed up. Back at the gate, Jiraiya waited for Naruto so he could begin the sure-to-be-difficult search for Tsunade.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's notes: Holy carp. I can't believe how many hits this story has gotten. Almost 900 for the first 6 chapters, and 9 reviews. Everyone, I can't tell you how floored I am that so many people have been reading this. So, I'm here to answer some questions/comments I've gotten. The OC trio uses attacks that sort-of mimic their desert home. Senjo is the mirage (genjutsu), Kurai the wind, and Kohaku the heat (fire). While all I've seen is the Uchiha clan using fire techniques, it stood to reason that other ninja would come up with their own, no matter what country they were from (save possibly Water). I tried to make their techniques different from anyone in the show, and so my Japanese might not be perfect, hence why I include the English along with it. (If anyone is fluent in Japanese, I would dearly love your input/corrections to the techniques). Since Sakura is going to be trained by someone even better than Kohaku, I felt that it didn't fit the canon to have a Sand ninja train a Leaf. As always, comments and questions are always welcome, and my beta readers (CelticKitten, Eric Shields, and two other friends) will continue to make sure I stay true to canon.

Chapter 7

A sandstorm was picking up when they reached home, and Kurai knew they needed to get indoors fast. "Back to our house," he told the girls as they passed already-closed doors and people heading for shelter. They knocked on one door until it was half-opened by a brown-haired woman with soft green eyes.

"Hurry inside," she told them, opening the door fully and then bolting it closed once they were all in. "You're back early. No one sent for you. What happened?" The woman sounded concerned as she watched them take their sandals off. Kurai turned to her and shrugged.

"Konoha was paid a visit by a missing-nin organization called Akatsuki. They're searching through the hidden villages for ninjas of power. We believe-"

"That they'll come for Shukaku's vessel?" an older man said as he came into the entranceway from another room. Dark eyes stared at them from under a thick mop of brown hair. The twins immediately bowed to him, and Senjo dipped her head in respect.

"Yes father," Kurai answered as he straightened up. "As soon as the storm subsides, we will make a full report to the Kazekage." He nodded and motioned for them to come into the house, and they quickly followed. The smell of rice and meat assailed them as they passed the kitchen, and the twins' mother went back to stirring a large pot on the stove.

"Dinner will be ready soon, Taru. Don't keep them too long."

"I won't, Atsui," he replied, walking through a doorway with the three teens still behind him. They were at the back of the house now, in a room set aside for training. The floor was bare earth, with a few rocks placed around the perimeter, and a wooden ledge with benches for spectators or supervisors. "Daichi, practice is over for today!"

"But father-" a young boy came out from behind one of the rocks, breathing heavily and closing his mouth when he saw the assembled crowd. "Yes sir." He tried to smooth out his short brown hair, but he just made it stick up all the more. Green eyes stared back at them, unable to keep either Kurai's or his father's gaze for too long.

"Kurai, come with me. I want to hear everything," Taru instructed as the older boy followed him into another room and locked the door behind him. Kohaku walked over to her little brother and smiled as she combed his hair down for him.

"Have you been practicing, Daichi?"

"Of course I have! Father even taught me the rock wall technique. Want to see?"

"Sure." She pulled Senjo back onto the wooden ledge and sat on one of the benches. "Any time you're ready."

"Here I go. Ganseki toku (Rock Shield)!" Daichi thrust his hand onto the ground and concentrated. A small earth wall rose up two feet from the ground, then stopped. He sat down and frowned at the small shield. "That's no good."

"You're probably running low on chakra," Kohaku told him, getting off the ledge. "Why don't you try again after dinner?"

"Kohaku, will you help me? Father will be with Kurai all night, and I think I can do this with a bit more practice."

"He sounds like Inkei," Senjo teased. "Mother started teaching him some of our techniques, but I'm usually the one who helps him."

"I'd ask big brother, but…" Daichi let the sentence drop as he gazed at the door where his father and Kurai were talking.

"Unless I have missions, you and I will practice until you can make a wall that's over your head," Kohaku promised, crouching down a few feet away from them with both hands on the ground. "Then we can work on this one: "Ganseki engai (Rock Dome)." A mound of earth and rock completely encased her, and Daichi's jaw hit the floor as Senjo clapped. The dome receded as Kohaku stood up and grinned.

"That was awesome! I'll learn all our family's secrets, and then one day I'll be as good as Gaara!" Silence descended on the room the moment the name left his mouth. Kohaku and Senjo both stared at him, and the door opened at that moment.

"Daichi, help your mother with dinner," Taru ordered as the younger boy scurried off in silence. "Kohaku, I'll need to talk to you later. Senjo, you should let your mother know what you found out as well."

"I will, Hajino-san," she promised as Kurai walked past them.

"You're staying for dinner, Senjo-chan," he told her. "Mother will probably insist that you not leave until we're sure the storm has passed." Both the men left the room, and the girls turned to each other in slight shock.

"Did your brother really say what I think I heard? That he wants to be like Gaara?" Kohaku was nodding her head, but not saying anything. She couldn't believe Daichi had said that name in the house. If Kurai or their father ever found out…

"I need to talk to him. Our whole family hates him, even those who aren't proficient with the bloodline. For him to openly admit that, something must've happened, or maybe he overheard someone talking about Gaara and our family."

"Kohaku, Senjo, dinner!" Atsui called out.

"Coming mother. We'll talk to him later."

"Kohaku, did you ever think that maybe Gaara isn't as bad as you think?" The brunette turned to her friend with a puzzled look on her face.

"Senjo, he is Shukaku's vessel. The demon child of sand. Of course he's as bad as I think. There are times when he's worse." She left the room, and Senjo shuffled after her, sighing heavily.

"Maybe people can change, Kohaku," she whispered to herself. "And sometimes they can change for the better."

* * *

The sandstorm soon gave way to a starry night sky, and the Kazekage's guards resumed their posts outside the building. Soon they saw three of their own Chuunins walking towards them down the street. "State your business," one called out. 

"Hajino Kurai back with my team to report on our mission."

"No one sent for you," the other guard told them. "Is this an urgent report?"

"That depends on if you feel like watching this village be flattened like Konoha." When the guards stared perplexed at them, Kohaku rolled her eyes.

"Yes, it's urgent. We won't take up anymore of the Kazekage's time than is necessary." The guards nodded and let them pass, and the inner-door guard announced their presence. The meeting room was sparingly lit with a few lamps, and the Kazekage was writing something at a desk.

_'At least he's not sitting behind those screens,'_ Kurai thought as he glanced across the room to the walled area that the former Kazekage always used when he spoke to people. It had been a way to keep him safe from outsiders or even village traitors. But the screens had done him no good once he'd stepped outside the village's boundaries. _'Hopefully this one is less arrogant than the former one.'_

"Your sudden return is quite a surprise," the robed man spoke as they all bowed. "Tell me, what prompted this?"

"Kazekage-sama, we believe this village may soon get an unexpected visit."

"A visit? From who?"

"While in Konoha we became aware of two strangers with immense chakra. I followed them and saw three Leaf Jounins confront them, only to be easily defeated. One of the Jounins later told me that the strangers belonged to Akatsuki, an organization of powerful S-rank criminals. They are currently traveling to all the villages in search of shinobi with great power." The Kazekage stopped writing and looked up, only his eyes visible beneath his hat and face covering.

"Gaara," he finally said, standing up and beginning to walk around the room. "He will most certainly be on their list."

"What would you have us do then, Kazekage-sama?"

"Everyone must be warned, of course. Especially Gaara."

"But-" Kurai started to argue, but when his leader held up a firm hand, he immediately became quiet.

"I know of your clan's hatred and mistrust for Shukaku's vessel. Nearly the whole village feels the same way. However, I believe recent events have changed him. Both Temari and Kankuro have reported that he is calmer, less prone to violent outbursts. Though he was the thorn in my predecessor's side, since his return from Konoha, Gaara has not had any problems either here or on missions."

"Kazekage-sama, with your permission, I will brief Gaara on what we discovered," Senjo spoke up quickly. She felt Kohaku and Kurai staring at her, but this was something she needed to do. "That way I can use my abilities to discover if he would truly betray us or not."

"Very well. At first light tomorrow you three will alert all active ninja as to the situation. Senjo, you will then find Gaara and determine if he is a potential threat. After that, report back for your next assignment. Dismissed."

"Yes Kazekage-sama," they said as they bowed and left the building. Once they were out of earshot, Kurai rounded on the redhead.

"What the hell are you thinking?" he demanded, pinning her against the nearest wall as Kohaku grabbed his arm.

"Kurai, stop it! You can't tell her what to do."

"The hell I can't. I'm team leader, and Senjo is my girl. She is not going within ten feet of Gaara. Right?"

"The Kazekage gave her an order. She can't disobey!" Senjo shrank back against the wall, staring at Kurai. The darkness was right behind his eyes, and that frightened her more than going into the desert to speak with the demon child. Right now, he wasn't acting like Kurai, but more like…

"Kurai-kun, please. You're scaring me," she whispered, taking his hand. He cocked his head to one side as an evil smile curled his lips.

"Good. Maybe I'll scare some sense into you. I don't care what that Naruto kid told you. Gaara is not be trusted, warned, or told anything."

"Kurai-"

"Shut-up, Kohaku!" Again the eyes stared into Senjo, but all she saw were Kuro's eyes the night he…

"Stop. Please. Leave me alone," she said, pulling her hand away and wrapping her arms around her. She felt him pull his arm back, knew the hit was coming, and closed her eyes and prepared for it.

"**Kurai**!" Kohaku's voice rang out in the silent streets, and Senjo heard a scuffle, but refused to open her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. Finally she felt a tentative hand on her arm, but she pulled away.

"No Kuro. Please don't." The words sounded distant, like they didn't come from her, but she knew that no one else would utter his name.

"Senjo, it's Kohaku. Please look at me." Slowly her eyes opened, and she saw Kohaku standing in front of her. Kurai was sitting on the ground, rubbing his jaw and glaring at them.

"How dare you-" he started before Kohaku was in his face. She was pissed, and Senjo stared wide-eyed as she curled her hands into tight fists and fought not to hit her brother again. No, there would be no more blows exchanged tonight.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" she demanded, still glaring at her twin. "Senjo is not your property, and she has a right to think and feel and talk to whomever she wants to. She is our teammate, not some underling you can order around. Stop acting like Kuro and start acting like Kurai! Senjo's already been through hell once because of that bastard. I'll be damned before I let you drag her back into that." He seemed confused, but just shook his head and stood up.

"I'll see you back at home, Kohaku." Walking down the street and swearing to himself, Kurai soon disappeared from their view.

"Kohaku-chan?" Senjo asked, coming up behind the brunette. She was immediately engulfed in a fierce hug, and she could've sworn she felt her back crack.

"I'm sorry, Senjo. I don't know what's come over him lately. Come on, I'll walk you home." The two girls made their way through the streets, hands clamped around each other. Senjo was staring straight ahead, afraid that even the slightest movement other than walking would bring a fresh stream of tears. She had not cried since that night. That night when she had almost been killed, or worse, by someone she had loved. She knew Kohaku's pain more so than the other girl knew, but she could tell neither of the twins her true relationship with Kuro. Kohaku would only try to protect her more, and Kurai would either want to kill the now-missing boy, or just wash his hands of her completely. He did not stand for weakness, and that night had been the weakest Senjo had ever felt. "Hey, we're here," Kohaku's voice broke into her thoughts.

"What?"

"We're at your house. Senjo… Will you be all right?" She sounded so worried, and all the redhead wanted to do was rest for the night.

"I'll be fine. You'd better get back to your place."

"All right, I'll come get you in the morning."

"Okay." The brunette left then, glancing over her shoulder as she walked down the street. Senjo sighed heavily and knocked on the door before she opened it. Someone was suddenly beside her, and she instinctively drew a kunai and dodged a punch aimed at her head. She was behind her attacker the next moment, kunai at their throat. "I could have killed you!" she whispered harshly.

"But you didn't," the boy in her arms replied. He brushed back reddish-brown hair from his blue eyes as he turned to face her. "Good to have you back, Senjo."

"Where are mother and father, Inkei?" Her younger brother shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Senjo rolled her eyes and removed her sandals before she followed him. "Mother! Father! I'm home!" She waited a moment before she heard the quick footsteps of her father, and braced herself as he came barreling through the doorway and hugged her tightly. This time she was sure her back popped as she felt the air leave her lungs. "Can't breathe," she wheezed playfully.

"Seishin, she's going to turn blue of you keep squeezing," a chiding female voice said. Laughing, Seishin let go of his daughter and put one hand behind his head.

"Sorry Naiteki. I was caught up in the moment. Glad to see you, Senjo."

"You too, father," she replied, hugging him back lightly. His red hair was sticking up slightly, and she stood on her tiptoes and brushed it down for him. "You all look like you were expecting me."

"I was, actually," Naiteki told her. "Between your chakra and the Hajino twins, you're a hard group to miss. If you're looking, that is." Of course the village interrogator would have picked up on their return. Senjo often wondered if there was anything her mother could not either sense or predict. Between her mental abilities and chakra identification skills, Tanamari Naiteki was a formidable opponent on and off the battlefield. "But that doesn't explain **why** you're back."

"It's a long story, mother, and I have a mission first thing in the morning. All I want to do is get some sleep."

"Another mission? But you just got back," Inkei argued.

"That's the life of a ninja," Seishin told his son as he ruffled his hair. "Some day, you'll be doing the same thing."

"Speaking of that, Inkei, you have school tomorrow. Off to bed with you," Naiteki ordered, shooing both her children off to bed. When they were gone, she turned to her husband and sighed. "Something's not right. Did you see the look in Senjo's eyes? She used to come home from school with that look, like she was scared what the next day would bring. Seishin, I'm worried about her."

"Naiteki, there's nothing we can do. Our little girl is a Chuunin now, the same as we were. All we can do is keep the light on for her when she comes home from missions." They embraced for a moment, then darkened the house and prepared for bed. In her own room, Senjo was lying on her sleeping mat, staring at the wall. Or rather, at a picture on the wall of her team the day they became Genins. She was smiling hesitantly, and Kohaku had her arms crossed and was leaning into her with a smile. Kurai was behind them, a smirk on his face and an arm on each of their shoulders. It was the first physical contact she'd ever had with him, and the memory sent shivers up her spine.

"So why then did he suddenly turn on me? All I said was that I would warn Gaara about Akatsuki. Doesn't he deserve the same courtesy as everyone else?" She knew the answer in Kurai's mind though. He hated the desert child more than the entire village combined. But people could change, and the Kazekage had even said that he thought Gaara was a different person now. So didn't he deserve a second chance? He hadn't created himself after all, and the man responsible for that was dead. She knew it was no use to convince the twins, but Daichi's comment gave her hope for him, and maybe Kohaku could be made to understand. Turning over and pulling the sheet over her head, Senjo listened as the wind picked up pace in the streets, and wondered if another sandstorm was coming.

* * *

The cliffs sounded with the dull beats of a fight going on, and Kohaku picked up her pace across the sand. When she reached the top of the next rise, she looked to see Kurai engaged in combat with two others, but quickly realized he was just sparring against sand clones. "Looks like I'll have to interrupt another training session. I need to know what came over him back there. I've never seen Kurai act like that with Senjo." Stopping a few feet from him, Kohaku waited until he broke the last clone into dust and then paused to catch his breath. 

"What?" he asked, shifting slightly to stare at her.

"We need to talk. Now."

"There's nothing to talk about, **little sister**." Oh, so he was going to pull that crap? Except that she didn't care about rank now, nor was she going to drop this.

"Unless you plan on fighting me, don't bait me. I'm not in a good mood."

"Neither am I. Don't worry, I won't make you fight me. I need a challenging opponent to wear myself out." The smirk was firmly on his face as she glared at him.

"You haven't been paying attention then, brother. Don't think that my asking for help with Sasuke means I'm not up to the task."

"Then show me what I'm missing." He dropped into a fighting stance and motioned at her with one hand. "Come."

"Very well." The hand seals seemed to form on their own as two copies flashed into existence. "Hinote bunshin no jutsu (Fire Clone)." Kurai's smile only widened as the three Kohakus glared at him.

"Three for the price of one. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes each." But he saw them link hands, and then they were running at him, the center leaping over his head and pulling the other two up in the air. They dropped hands as two landed on either side of him, and the third landed behind, one hand on the ground.

"Suna gosunkugi (Sand spikes)!" Kurai's eyes widened when he saw each of the clones pierced by a shaft of sand. He tried to meld with the sand beneath him, but only got up to his knees before the ensuing explosion knocked him prone. As the searing heat swept over him, he felt Kohaku's presence and tried to get up. A hand was suddenly on his back, grabbing his vest and hauling him to his feet.

"How dare-"

"Shut up, Kurai," she told him through gritted teeth. "For once in your life just shut up and listen." They were facing each other now, and she lifted her bare arms until the scars glowed in the light of the dying fire. He involuntarily winced at the sight of the web of thick, raised white lines. It looked like her arms had been glued back together, or a spider had taken up residence on each limb. He knew her armguards were more to stop people from staring or pitying her than vanity, and she had started wearing them only after he asked her to.

"What?" he finally asked, voice softer than he wanted.

"I didn't think I would ever need to remind you how I got these, but it seems I do. A boy I cared for, with no prior warning, suddenly attacked me. First he punched me, and then he took two kunais and drove them through my arms into the ground. After that he just kept hitting me so that the bones broke further and pushed through my skin. By the time you and Senjo found me, I was so broken that I couldn't even stand on my own, and you had to carry me like a child to the hospital."

"I remember. We wanted to kill Tansei, and you wouldn't let us."

"That's right. It was the same kind of situation between Senjo and Kuro, and you and Makoto. The only difference is, neither of you have visible scars. We were all hurt and betrayed by people we cared about, Kurai. Don't think you're the only one going through this. I can look at my arms every day and remind myself of what happened, and know that I will never make that same mistake again. But you and Senjo just have memories and words to look back on."

"What could Kuro have done to her that was so bad? He could barely hold his own in a physical fight."

"You're forgetting that Senjo isn't a fighter either. She relies on her genjutsu and mind-reading techniques. What that bastard did to her is something she promised me not to tell you. The same way you made me promise not to tell what Makoto did to you. Whatever has gotten into you lately has you acting just like Kuro was before he hurt Senjo. I will not allow you to degrade yourself like that. Now tomorrow you will apologize to her and let her do what she was ordered, or I will tell her about your past."

"You wouldn't dare." Kohaku smirked then, putting her armguards back on.

"Try me. Now what prompted that kind of reaction out of you? I thought you were going to hit Senjo." He laughed, but it wasn't very kind, and tossed his hair from his face. Aside from a few minor burns, he seemed to have avoided the worst of the attack. Although that was probably due more to Kohaku than his own dodging abilities.

"I would never hit her, you know that. What I **was** going to hit, before you grabbed me, was the wall. Come on. If I never hit Makoto, why would I hit Senjo?"

"Good point. But why did it make you so mad that she was going to talk to Gaara? I don't like him either, but it was a direct order."

"I can't explain it, Kohaku. It's a guy thing."

"Are you **jealous** of Gaara?" He glared at her, and she ducked her head and wiped the smile from her face quickly.

"Never say that again. No, I'm not. It's just- I might be-… All right, it's something like that. I'm not jealous of him, but I'm worried for her. Senjo seemed to take what that Naruto kid said to heart, and I don't want to lose her."

"Kurai, she's not going to suddenly stop caring about you because she feels sorry for the desert child. She knows our family's feelings about him, and she accepts them, even if she doesn't agree. We owe her the same respect."

"Our family's feelings don't seem to extend to Daichi." Her jaw almost hit the ground as she turned away and frowned slightly. So, he had overheard the comment.

"He's young, Kurai. And all he sees is Gaara being able to do things that father can't even attempt. That's why we hate him, but if Daichi doesn't, what can we do? I'm not about to tell father, and you shouldn't either. Daichi's almost done with school, and the Chuunin exam will only be a few months after that. If he can get to the next level by copying some of Gaara's moves and making them his own, what's the harm? Then they'll be known by **our** family, and we'll be stronger for it."

"I still need to talk to him. If father ever heard him say something like that, I don't even want to know what would happen."

"Well then, maybe we should both start acting like the elder siblings and teach him what we know. It's different than Gaara, and he might just think that our family's techniques are much better than his current idol. He does look up to you, Kurai. Be a big brother to him, for once. Take one of your training sessions and use it to help him."

"All right, all right, I will. After we get back from our next mission, I promise I'll help Daichi. But you better be there too, damn it. If I have to give up a training day, you should too." He was smiling as he said it, and Kohaku smiled back as she extended her hand and clasped his.

"Deal. Now let's go home. We've got an early day tomorrow." The twins headed back over the dunes to home, silent once more as they both thought about Senjo.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Senjo, time to greet the morning," Naiteki's soft voice reached her ears. The redhead opened her eyes to see her mother's all-too-perky smile only inches away.

"Don't want to."

"You can dream about Kurai later. Right now you have a mission." Turning away from the bed, Naiteki paused a moment before catching the pillow aimed at her head.

"Mother, you can be so annoying sometimes," Senjo grumbled, sitting up and reaching for her clothes.

"That's merely a defense when dealing with you and your brother. Now come on, your father's making pancakes." Senjo dressed in a flash and was seated at the table before her mother had even left her room. Seishin was at the stove, whistling as he added more pancakes to an already impressive stack on the table. Both of her parents were wearing their Jounin vests, and her father was even wearing the full head covering that made him look bald.

"You have a mission today?" she asked, reaching for a pancake.

"My rotation came up to guard the Kazekage with my squad, and I'm looking forward to it. An easy mission, for once."

"He seems like a decent man," she agreed.

"When compared to the former one, anyone would be decent."

"Seishin, don't speak ill of the dead. He was our leader, good, bad, or indifferent," Naiteki scolded as she took her seat.

"I'll go with bad," Inkei spoke up between bites. "He was the one who made us attack Konoha."

"That was a disaster," Seishin agreed. "I think I still have bruises." Senjo paused with her fork halfway to her mouth.

"You went on the invasion?" she asked softly.

"Almost the whole village went," Inkei told her. "Mom had to stay here along with a few of the other clan leaders, but everyone else got to go."

"From what I heard, it wasn't as easy as we were made to think," Naiteki added, looking at her husband.

"I'll say. We didn't see too much resistance right away, but then all their high-level ninja just seemed to come from nowhere. Quite a few of us surrounded this one guy, but he just spun in a circle, forcing his chakra at us. I blacked out, and when I came to, it was all over. I'll tell you, Konoha has some pretty powerful families."

"At least you managed to come back alive," Senjo said. "I heard we lost almost half our active force."

"Correct. There was a tactical retreat called, but I don't think anyone got the chance to. If it hadn't been for our rather hasty surrender, I think I would've been a prisoner of war for a lot longer. You were back too late to know any of this, Senjo. I don't even think you were properly briefed on the situation."

"Not really. We came home, were told we were being sent to Konoha, and that was it. I know Kohaku managed to talk to Temari about a few things, but that's all."

"Speaking of briefing, what's this new mission you're on?" Naiteki wondered, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Oh, that's right! It's a bit of a long story, but I'll give you the condensed version. The other day we encountered two strangers in Konoha, and Kurai-kun was told they belonged to an organization called Akatsuki. They're going around to all the hidden villages and searching for ninjas of power, but no one knows why. We thought they would definitely come here because of Gaara. The Kazekage told us to alert all our active people, and then I have to let Gaara know-" The stares she received silenced her quickly.

"You have to what?" Seishin asked, ignoring the now-burning pancake.

"I told the Kazekage that I would let Gaara know that Akatsuki might be after him. Kurai didn't want me to either, but he has to know! If they manage to catch him off-guard, the whole village could be in danger."

"She's right," Inkei agreed. "That new attack of his could flatten everything."

"Since when do you know Gaara's attacks?" Naiteki demanded.

"Um, since Daichi and I snuck out to watch him practice one day."

"You **what**!" both parents practically screamed. Inkei held up his hands in a surrendering gesture, and Senjo was even staring at him in shock.

"It was his idea. We snuck out after school last week, and found Gaara out at the cliffs. He's got this new attack that moves a whole mountain of sand, but I don't know what it's called. Daichi wants to try and learn it, but I told him that I was much happier staying the heck away from Gaara. He creeps me out."

"He should," Seishin said as he frowned. "You, mister, are grounded. Not only for sneaking out, but for putting yourself in danger. I might have to speak to Taru about what Daichi's doing."

"NO!" Senjo and Inkei both yelled.

"Dad, please, Hajino-san would never understand his reasoning," Senjo said.

"That guy scares me more than Gaara," Inkei added. "Daichi wouldn't see the light of day until he graduated the academy, if then. Come on, let me talk to him. I'll tell him that I got in trouble, and then maybe he won't go alone."

"And I'll tell Kohaku what happened, and she'll talk with him as well."

"All right, all right. But from now on, no one goes near him without a good reason. Senjo, your orders qualify as a good reason. I don't care if he has changed, I still don't trust him."

"Seishin, you don't trust anyone," Naiteki teased.

"Hey, that's not true. The only other people I never really trusted were that strange Orochimaru guy and that jerk Kuro that Senjo used to hang out with."

"If you never trusted Kuro, why let me near him?" Seishin raised an eyebrow and placed a gentle hand on Senjo's shoulder.

"Would you really have believed your father saying some guy wasn't good for you? That's why I'm glad you started hanging out with Kohaku. Much as Kurai has his quirks, he's a decent kid." There was a knock on the door, and Senjo stood up.

"That'll be Kohaku. Mom, dad, would you let all the shinobi at your stations know about Akatsuki? That'll make our jobs a little easier."

"Sure thing."

"I assume they aren't hard to miss?"

"For you, mother, no. The two we saw had incredible amounts of chakra trailing off them, and were dressed in red and black robes with straw hats. All of them are missing-nins and S-rank criminals."

"Very good. Now hurry up before you're all behind on your mission," Naiteki said as Senjo nodded and ran to the door. Kohaku and Kurai were both there, vests on, and Kohaku's staff firmly in her hands.

"Ready to go?" the brunette asked as she smiled.

"Ready." The trio began walking down the street, all of them silent.

"Senjo, I was thinking that it might be easier of you went and spoke to Gaara first," Kurai suddenly said. "You know, get it over with."

"Um, sure, Kurai-kun. What will you two be doing?"

"Kurai's going to let everyone inside the village know. I'll be seeing to all the border patrols."

"Well, I told my parents what was going on, and they'll both let their stations know. My father's patrol is guarding the Kazekage today, so you can skip that building."

"Right. We'll regroup later tonight at our house. For now, let's start this mission." Kurai was alone a minute later as the girls headed to their destinations.

* * *

The wind was beginning to pick up again as Senjo arrived at the cliffs, and she pulled her vest tighter around her. Not that it blocked anything, but the sturdy cloth gave her comfort, and she needed all she could get. Suddenly the sand she was on began shifting, and she jumped to the rock wall as she watched what looked like a tidal wave of sand begin forming. "I wonder. Inkei said Gaara's new technique moves a lot of sand." Running along the cliff wall, Senjo followed the wave as close as she dared, finally having to run up to avoid it as it suddenly changed directions. Catching her breath on the top of the cliff, she kept watching as the wave crashed into the deep desert, and the ground shook as the dunes shifted and flowed like water. "What power."

"Is there a reason you are disturbing my training, Tanamari Senjo?" a voice said behind her. Senjo whirled to see Gaara standing a little ways away, arms over his chest. He was dressed differently than last she'd seen, now in brown pants and a matching long-sleeved duster jacket. His eyes never wavered from her, and she saw a stream of sand rise up the cliff and into his gourd.

"Hello Gaara," she greeted as she stood, forcing her voice to come out normal. It wasn't easy, even though she believed that he had changed. Too many years of thinking of him as a monster were still engrained in her, but she began walking over to him. "I won't take up too much of your time."

"What do you want?" he asked, shifting his attention from her to the desert.

"I came to warn you about something that happened in Konoha." When he didn't respond, she just decided to tell him flat out. "There's an organization called Akatsuki going around the countries and taking other ninjas. My team thought they might come for you because of… Well, you know."

"Because of the Shukaku?"

"Yes. And the Kazekage told me to warn you in case they saw you on a mission. The two we saw wore black-and-red robes and straw traveling hats. I'm not sure if they were trying to hide it or not, but their chakras were incredible, and we could sense them from quite a distance."

"Is that all?" His tone was flat, like he didn't care that she had come all this way to let him know his life could be in danger. Senjo's hand curled into a fist, but she knew it wouldn't help. He was Gaara, and the mistreatment he'd had all those years made him wary of everyone, if not downright hostile. But then Naruto's face popped into her mind, and she knew that in order to be a friend to him, she needed to try.

"Actually, I also have a message for you. From Uzumaki Naruto." His head turned, and a questioning look was in his eyes. She stepped closer, the gap between them now at five feet. "When I was there, I was able to talk with him. Before I left, I asked him a question. I asked him what he would do if he saw you again." His eyes were wide now, and Senjo took another step forward. "He said, that he would thank you." Another step, and she felt her body began to relax a little. "And then he said he would ask if you wanted to be his friend." She was now only a foot away, and Gaara still had not moved. Reaching out, she placed one hand lightly on his shoulder, and he looked up at her with wide eyes, like a child.

"Why would he say that?"

"He knows what you went through, Gaara. He said the only difference between you two was that he has friends, and you are all alone. But where you turned to the complete destruction of everything, Naruto wanted to better himself so that he would one day be accepted. Why do you think he wants to be Hokage so badly?" There was a spark of understanding in his eyes, and Senjo kept going: "I'm sorry you had to live like this, and I want to make it up to you." He didn't pull away, but she saw him frown slightly as he continued to stare at her.

"And what did you plan to do?" Again the flat tone, but she didn't care anymore.

"I want to be your friend too, if you'll let me." He glared at her then, like she had just offered to sell him her soul. He shrugged her hand off, but didn't move.

"I don't have any friends. Why would I need a bunch of cowards for friends? Everyone has hated me since the moment I was born. I am better off as I always have been: Alone." Again she was beside him, but she kept her hands at her sides this time.

"I don't hate you, Gaara. I might still be a little afraid, but I'm willing to get over that if you're willing to accept my offer." He turned away, and she resisted the urge to hug him like Kohaku had done for her. "Gaara, one more thing, and then I'll leave you alone. I know what it's like not to have any real friends either. When I was still in school, all I had was this guy Kuro, and he was anything but a friend. But then a real friend came to me, and she helped me realize my own worth as not only a person, but as a ninja. Kohaku and I were lucky to be on the same team, and we've only grown closer. I don't know exactly what you've been through, but Naruto does, and he wants to be your friend too. People can change, but sometimes we have to change along with them." She turned to go, when a hand on her arm stopped her. Gaara was beside her, a blank look on his face that slowly changed to what might've been his version of a smile.

"I will consider Naruto's words. And yours." He walked away, and she watched him go. Then she turned her own eyes to the desert, and thought once more of the blonde Konoha boy, and what she had seen in his mind.

"Naruto, I think you're closer to being Hokage than even you know. Thank you."

* * *

Kohaku was beginning her trek back to the village when she happened to see what looked like a large bird floating towards her. A minute passed before she recognized Shooting Star and saw Temari raise her hand in greeting. "I didn't know you three were out here. Are you returning from a mission?" But it seemed the older girl was all alone, and Kohaku breathed a quick sigh of relief. She hadn't actually wanted to see either Kankuro or Gaara at the moment anyway.

"Training," the blonde replied as she landed and folded the fan. Kohaku noticed dried blood on its folds and quirked an eyebrow. "I'm working on summoning. It could be useful one day."

"I prefer my ninjutsu and staff," Kohaku said as she patted the weapon secured to her back and began walking again. Temari fell into step beside her, and they moved in silence for a while.

"You don't normally wear your rank so openly. What's the occasion?"

"Possible trouble. A couple of S-rank missing-nins were in Konoha recently, looking for ninjas of considerable power. Apparently Akatsuki, their organization, is sending out groups to all the hidden villages. The Kazekage told us to warn the whole village, especially your brother."

"Who do you think they were after in Konoha?"

"I have a few ideas. So, how are things here? Have we recovered enough to begin full squad missions?"

"Considering how we've actually been getting quite a few recently, I'd say so."

"Maybe our lord realized how foolish it was not to use his own village. Or he's scared of us." They laughed, then went silent again as they continued on for a little while. Temari finally broke the stillness.

"Kohaku, I just want you to know-"

"Look Temari, I'm not here to say "I told you so". What happened on that mission is something no one could've predicted."

"Still, your clan, your father especially, didn't want Gaara going. He was too unstable, too violent." She paused for a moment. "And they were right."

"You and Kankuro did what you could, I'm sure. Shukaku is not easily controlled or contained, especially by a twelve year-old."

"You still hate him, don't you?"

"Why ask me that question when you already know the answer?" Temari sighed and turned to gaze at the cloudless sky.

"He's changed, Kohaku. You didn't see him lying defeated on the ground, afraid of the Leaf boy that was crawling towards him. Gaara doesn't show fear, but he was terrified of this kid. He just seemed so submissive by the time Kankuro and I got there."

"Senjo met that boy. His name is Uzumaki Naruto, one of the oddest ninjas I have ever encountered. She says he beat Gaara almost single-handedly."

"I wouldn't know. When Shukaku came out I looked for the nearest shelter, and that's when I found Kankuro. We didn't make it back to Gaara until after the fight. But something happened between them, I'm sure of it. As we were heading home, Gaara said something rather odd."

"What?"

"He said he was sorry."

"Sorry? He doesn't even know what that word means." When Temari frowned at her, Kohaku waved her hands to dismiss the comment. "He's still dangerous, no matter what was said to him. I'll believe he's changed when I see it."

"And Kurai?"

"Kurai is the same as my father. Neither will ever stop trying to prove their superiority, and they won't admit defeat."

"Is all that really just because they feel your bloodline has been slighted?"

"Temari, we went to war because our village had been slighted. Do you really think that one family's personal crusade is any different? You have your own feelings about your brother, and we have ours. We respectfully disagree on that, right?"

"I never will be able to change your opinion, so I suppose so."

"Don't say never. I'm not like my brother, but I do have my own prejudices regarding certain things. I'd be willing to rethink my views on Gaara, but not until I see a complete change in him. Such as not being such an arrogant prick."

"Kurai is the same way." Kohaku smiled dryly and then shrugged.

"He's family, so I can't help but care about him no matter how much he might annoy me. And I can be just as arrogant sometimes, but not to Gaara's extent."

"But he was only ever beaten once. By Naruto."

"Maybe he should get beaten more often if this is the kind of reaction he has." They had reached the village gates, and Kohaku turned left, while Temari faced the other way. "It's nothing personal, you know. I still admire you, Temari."

"I know."

"You should've gone to the Chuunin exam before the mission. Regardless of your brothers, you would've made it."

"I know. I just had some bad luck as to when I went."

"Next time you won't have any missions like that. I think I'll go see that exam. It would be fun watching you ride Shooting Star all the way to the top."

"Thanks. We'll have to see what the future holds." The girls parted ways, and Kohaku smiled to herself as she headed back to report in.

"And once you become Chuunin, I'll have someone to prove myself against."

* * *

Kurai returned home later that day to find Daichi practicing alone in the bare-earth room. "Where are mother and father?"

"Mother is shopping for dinner, and father is talking to the rest of the family about what you told him. I don't know when they'll be home." The younger boy stood still for a moment, eyes closed. Kurai could feel him gathering chakra, yet nothing happened.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying a new technique. Want to see?" A moment later, Kurai was next to him, smirk firmly in place.

"There's isn't a technique you can learn that I don't already know. But I'll humor you this once." Daichi frowned, but bowed to his brother before aiming a kick at his legs, which the older boy dodged. Kurai managed to land a punch to his chest, but was slightly surprised when Daichi wasn't winded.

"Great, it works." The kunais were out then, both sizing up the other. Daichi caught Kurai across the arm, but he ignored the cut.

"What technique is this? All you did was take a punch without falling down."

"Exactly." Kurai was now very confused, and a little ticked off. The smile on Daichi's face had widened, like he knew a big secret and didn't feel like sharing. There was no way his little brother was going to win this match. Gathering some chakra in his legs, he was suddenly right in front of Daichi, blade up and cutting across his chest. But instead of blood, sand trickled out, and Daichi backpedaled. Eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, Kurai was staring at him as the sand stopped flowing.

"Where did you learn the sand armor?"

"I haven't mastered it yet, but-"

"Where did you learn it!"

"I saw Gaara using-" Every word out of Daichi's mouth kept making the situation worse, and Kurai's grip tightened around the kunai.

"When? Where? Why?"

"I sometimes watch him train. What's wrong-"

"No, stop. You can't. Never again." Turning away, Kurai tried to calm himself, but found he couldn't. He'd been **watching** Gaara? This went way beyond any kind of research. No, it was almost like Daichi idolized that monster. His little brother, one of the heirs of the Hajino clan, idolizing Shukaku's vessel? After all that their father and the others had lost, this was how Daichi repaid them? Through what would be considered an act of treason against the clan?

"Why not?" Daichi broke into his thoughts, annoyance in his voice. "I was only-" Kurai spun, kunai coming up on instinct and slashing the younger boy from above his left eye to the right corner of his mouth

"**Shut up**!" Kurai yelled. Daichi screamed, his own blade falling to the ground as he went to his knees. Both hands were on his face, trying to stop the bleeding. Kurai picked him up by the front of his shirt, eyes dark as he glared at the boy. "This was an accident," he hissed. "If you say anything different, I'll give you worse. And if I catch you ever using one of that monster's techniques again, I'll tell father." All Daichi could do was whimper, and Kurai released his hold and watched him fall on the ground, staring up with a scared expression, like he thought Kurai might kill him.

"Daichi, are you all- Kurai, what the hell happened?" Kohaku demanded as she burst into the room, staff clutched in her hands.

"Just a training accident, right Daichi?" The younger boy nodded silently, whimpers quieting down. Kurai brushed past his sister and walked outside, slamming the door behind him. A moment later Kohaku was beside her little brother, pulling him into her lap and yanking off one of her armguards with her teeth. She used it to stem the blood flow, trying to figure out where the actual wound was.

"What happened?" she asked once Daichi was calmer.

"It was just an accident-"

"I don't believe that, Daichi. Now, tell me the truth. If you two had a fight, I won't tell mother or father. But I need to know what happened."

"Well- I was- I tried to- I-was-using-one-of-Gaara's-techniques-and-Kurai-got-mad!" The last bit was said so fast that Kohaku wasn't sure she'd heard him right.

"You were what and Kurai what?"

"I was using the sand armor, that technique Gaara always has up when he goes on missions. Well, I kind of know how to do it, and was trying it out when Kurai and I were sparring. But he got so angry, and when I tried to ask why it was such a big deal, he did this." He pointed at his face, where the wound was still bleeding, but not as bad.

"You're probably going to have a nice scar there, kid. Face wounds don't heal all the way sometimes. Come on, let's get you over to the medical building."

"No!" He tugged on her arm when she stood, and Kohaku stared at him, confused and a little worried.

"Why not?"

"Can't you just patch it up? Or find Senjo and have her do it?"

"Daichi, you really should have it looked at by one of the med-nins."

"But they'll tell father."

"He's going to notice anyway."

"Can Senjo use a genjutsu and hide it? I don't want him knowing! Father will keep asking where I got it, and I can't lie to him easily. He'll know something happened, and then he'll ask Kurai, and then I'll be disowned!"

"Disowned? Where did you get that crazy idea?"

"Because I don't hate Gaara like everyone else. Kohaku, please listen to me. He isn't someone we should hate or fear, but someone we should try and be like. Gaara is what we all could be if we practiced hard enough. I know that it's because of Shukaku, but that doesn't matter in the long run. If we ever hope to beat Gaara, we have to know his techniques so that we can master them and then improve on the original. Our bloodline needs to embrace what he can do, or else we'll always be considered second-best. That's what father and the others are afraid of. They don't want to be bested by a child who doesn't share our blood."

"Daichi, I- You really believe that, don't you?"

"That's why father is always harping on you and Kurai to be the best at everything. Remember when we all thought you wouldn't be able to use your arms again?" Kohaku shuddered as she remembered the months she'd spent fighting to gain not only movement, but normal movement in her shattered limbs.

"Yes. I had to wait until the next Chuunin exam to go, and Kurai was pissed."

"Well, father was on his back the whole time you were in the hospital, saying how now it was all up to him to carry on the family legacy and restore our honor. I know that Kurai took it all to heart, and it bothered him that he had to wait to prove himself to the lords and the other villages. Father is the one who hates Gaara, and he's made you two hate him because of that without stopping to think what you might want. I mean, what if neither of you wanted to become ninjas?"

"Everyone in our line has been a ninja, or tried to be. It isn't something we so much want, as something we have to do."

"Well, I don't want that. I'm going to be the first Hajino to become a med-nin."

"Med-nin? How are you going to pull that off?"

"I just need to have perfect chakra control, and I've been working a lot on that. And some of Gaara's techniques have helped me, like the sand armor. It takes a lot of control and a lot of chakra to keep it in place, so I can only do patches right now. But I've been able to hold it in place for an hour on my arm, and I get better all the time!" Kohaku was surprised at Daichi's insistence in all this, but she smiled slightly to see how much he had grown up since entering the academy. He and Inkei had been known to pull pranks on each other and on their siblings, but that seemed to have given way to more adult motivations, and she was glad for that at least.

"All right, Daichi, I won't make you go to the medical building. But we should go find Senjo or her mother and see if there's something they can do until we can find an excuse to allow that wound to show." Slowly removing the now blood-soaked armguard, Kohaku saw that the wound was no longer bleeding, but looked a little red and raw. "Come on, kid. On your feet." She pulled him up carefully and steadied his walking when he lost his balance.

"I feel all woozy."

"You'll be like that for a little while. But I think you'll live to spy on Gaara another day."

"You won't tell father?"

"I won't tell father as long as your promise to be careful and not annoy Kurai again. I can't protect you from him."

"I don't want you to. One day I'll be able to hold my own against him. And then maybe he'll start listening to me."

"The chances are better that he'll see Makoto again. Now all we need to do is find Senjo. And if I were that redhead, where would I be?"

"Following Kurai?" Kohaku sighed and looked down at her brother.

"Unfortunately, yes. Let's go track him down, but we'll stay out of sight."

* * *

Senjo was coming out of the Kazekage's office when she saw her father sitting at the end of the hall, watching the guards at the entrance to the building. "Working hard?"

"Always," he replied with a smile. "How did it go?"

"With Gaara? It went fine. I said what I needed to, and he was his typical self and didn't really give me an answer."

"Well, as long as you're okay. It's your turn to cook dinner tonight, by the way. Your mother has a new prisoner to deal with."

"From today?"

"One of the border patrols caught a Sound ninja all the way out here, snooping around the cliffs. They're going to try and find out what he was doing, especially because of last time."

"Right. Okay, I'll have to stop by the market and get a few things. What do you and Inkei want?"

"Anything not burned. Your mother's a lousy cook when she has things on her mind. But don't tell her that." Seishin smiled, and Senjo rolled her eyes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Yes dad. I'll see you at home later, assuming Inkei hasn't wrecked the place." Heading out, Senjo turned down one of the main streets to take a shortcut to the market, when a figure detached itself from the wall nearby.

"We need to talk," Kurai stated as he came into the light.

"Can we do that and walk? I need to get things for dinner."

"Sure." They walked in silence for a few minutes, and Senjo noticed that Kurai had his hands shoved in his pockets. He was also looking everywhere but at her, which caused her to frown slightly as she tugged lightly on his vest.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I'm going to be leaving the village for a little while to train with my father and a few others from my family. We leave tomorrow morning."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know for certain, but at least a month."

"When did you find out? The night we got back?"

"Yeah. Father said that I need to focus more on my bloodline now that there's a possibility of S-rank ninjas coming to the village. He also told me that I need to perfect my techniques before I become a Jounin."

"Kurai-kun, we've only been Chuunins for less than a year. He doesn't really expect you to-"

"He expects me to be Jounin by this time next year, if not sooner. This training I'll be doing will help me with that. Senjo, just promise me something."

"Anything, just name it."

"Promise that you'll wait for me." She was stunned, and stopped walking only to stare at him. He still wasn't looking at her, and she brushed her fingers across his cheek.

"Is that what's bothering you? You think I'll find someone else and forget about you? Kurai-kun, you know I'd never do that." He looked up then, and she was surprised to see a bit of hurt, and possibly- Was that **fear** she saw?

"Makoto promised me that once, too."

"I'm not Makoto. Kurai-kun, I don't know what she did, but I could never hurt you. No matter how long your training goes, no matter what happens here, I will always be here for you. You should know that by now."

"Sometimes I don't know what I know. But I trust you, Senjo-chan." He embraced her, and she held him tightly for a moment, eyes closed. This was the Kurai she'd fallen in love with, not the boy she'd seen last night.

"Come see me when you're back. And if I'm on a mission, leave a note. Just do me a favor, okay?"

"All right."

"Don't let your father and the others cloud your judgment. Don't become them. Just be Kurai, okay?" He seemed puzzled, but shrugged and nodded. They embraced again, and Senjo gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he could protest. When they broke apart, Kurai turned towards his house, and Senjo continued towards the market. Further behind them, Kohaku and Daichi were standing in the side shadow of a building.

"So what does this mean?" Daichi asked.

"I don't know yet. But at least our lives won't be that difficult for a little while. Kurai on the other hand… Oh, I hope he gets through that training in one piece."

"You think father and the others would hurt him?"

"I think they'll do whatever it takes to make sure that Kurai embodies all the aspects of our clan, good and bad. Our brother's going to be very different when he comes home, Daichi. Just prepare yourself."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Come on, Kohaku, you can hit me harder than that!" Daichi called out, a grin on his face. Smiling back, the older girl paused a moment, gathering her chakra.

"Let's see if you can take hits when you can't see them coming," she replied, sinking into the sand. Daichi backed up, eyes and ears open for the slightest disturbance. Senjo and Inkei were a few feet away, practicing as well, and they stopped to watch.

"She's going to come up behind you!" Inkei warned.

"No helping," Senjo scolded. "Daichi needs to learn this on his own." A moment passed, and the Tanamari siblings could see a thin sheen of sweat on Daichi's face as he kept trying to figure out where Kohaku was going to strike from.

"She's taking an awfully long-" Inkei's statement was cut short as a hand surged from the sand, wrapping around Daichi's leg and pulling him face first to the ground. Coughing, and rolling on instinct, he barely avoided a sand spike as Kohaku rose from the earth on a pillar of rock.

"Not bad," she said, hopping down and dusting Daichi off. "That armor is pretty resilient." She noticed that she had cracked the armor on his side with her last attack however, and he was breathing heavily. "That's enough for today."

"But Kohaku-"

"Daichi, listen to your sister," another voice said. The four of them spun around to see Kurai and his father standing a few feet away. How long had they been there?

"Yes father," the younger boy answered as he and Kohaku bowed. Senjo and Inkei inclined their heads, and Taru turned away, said something to Kurai, and walked off. Kurai walked towards them, and Senjo noticed he had a bit of a limp.

"It's good to see you, Kurai-kun," she said softly as he walked past her.

"You too." But he didn't stop near her, but went right to his siblings. "Mother is cooking some sort of special dinner to celebrate our return. Apparently it will be an entire family affair, so don't be late."

"We won't. So how was training?" Kohaku asked, quirking an eyebrow at how tired and harsh he sounded.

"Long, tiring, and enlightening. I learned a few new abilities."

"I would hope so. You've been gone at least six weeks."

"Six weeks and two days, actually."

"I've been training too," Daichi broke in. Kurai's gaze flicked to the scar across his younger brother's face, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Finally decided that your own family were better teachers than that abomination?" Daichi opened his mouth to argue, but Inkei put a hand on his friend's shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"Of course he did. Who'd want to study Gaara anyway? He's still weird and creepy." Kurai nodded and began walking back to the village.

"You should listen to your friend more, Daichi. At least he has a clear head." When he was gone, Inkei smacked Daichi across the back of his head as Senjo sighed heavily and wrapped her arms around herself.

"That's the last time I cover for you, idiot. Do you want him to kill you?"

"He'll understand one of these days, Inkei."

"Yeah, well I'd at least like to see us graduate together. Who knows, maybe we'll be on the same team like our sisters."

"That's a scary thought," Kohaku said as she ruffled their hair. "All right boys, time to head back. Daichi, we need to wash up before dinner."

"Sure thing." They scampered off, and the brunette turned towards Senjo.

"Give him a little time to adjust. They just got back."

"I can already see it, Kohaku. He promised me that he wouldn't let them change him. But I can already see your father in his eyes."

"Then you know what you need to do, Senjo-chan?" She looked up, eyes beginning to fill with tears that she tried not to shed.

"What?" Her voice was choked, and Kohaku placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear:

"Remind him how to be Kurai. If anyone can do it, you can."

"All right. I'll try."

"No trying, just do it. Now come on, let's go before the sun starts setting. I'd like to be back before father decides to scold me for making him look bad in front of the family." Side by side they headed back to the village, both of them worried about Kurai.

* * *

"You're coming with me to work," Naiteki said at breakfast the next day.

"What's the occasion?" Senjo wondered as she washed the dishes. Inkei and her father had already left, and she had been looking forward to a day off.

"You'll be taking my place one of these days, and it's time your learned how we do things. You remember that Sound spy we caught when you first came back?"

"He's still here? Why hasn't his village arranged an offer for his release?"

"We're not sure, but we sent a runner out with a message, and have received no reply. Yesterday he was declared a missing-nin by our council, so we now have the power to interrogate him further. You and I are going to oversee that today."

"Do you think he was sent to see if we're still allies?"

"Possibly, but the warm welcome our patrol gave him probably answered that question. I'm more interested in what he's seen, including any information on Orochimaru. He made quite a name for himself once it was learned that he killed the former Kazekage." Senjo finished with the dishes, and the two women headed for the central guard building, which also housed a temporary prison.

"What was Orochimaru's connection to Konoha anyway? Was there a reason he hated it so much?"

"He's one of their most powerful missing-nins, trained by the third Hokage. Years ago he was chased out for performing human experiments, and he seemed to vanish for a quite a while. And when he showed up here, a village under his control and promises of revenge, we were all fooled."

"He must be powerful, to trick you and the clan leaders." Naiteki frowned and cleared her throat, repressing a shiver as she thought back to her first meeting with him.

"He was a very disturbing man, if you could even call him that. To me, he wasn't human. No one can have eyes that full of malice and contempt."

"Gaara did."

"Much as I hate to admit it, he has a reason. Anyway, Gaara isn't completely human to begin with." They arrived at the building, and the two guards waved them in. Inside was a bit like an office, except that most of the desks were empty.

"Where is everyone?" Senjo asked as she looked around.

"Out on patrols or missions, currently. We're a little short-staffed right now, and that's why I want you to start learning everything. Now let's go see how our "guest" is, shall we?" They proceeded to the back of the office where a locked door greeted them. Naiteki produced a key ring from her vest and unlocked it, and they descended down a flight of stone steps. It was slightly chilly, and Senjo felt a shiver race up her spine. "You'll get used to the cold. The cells are kept underground in a natural cave. We think there used to be a river running underneath the desert, and this chamber was hollowed out by it. I think a damp, cold cave is the perfect place to keep prisoners."

"That's your sadistic side, mother."

"You'll have one soon enough, Senjo. Working here demands it. You cannot show guilt, remorse, sadness, or compassion. Here you have to be the stronger one, or else you'll break long before your prisoners will."

"Yes ma'am." Once they reached the floor, Senjo noticed the lack of guards, and instantly became alert. "More staff shortages?"

"We never have our people down here unless we're questioning someone. Myself and the Kazekage are the only ones who have a key, and the door locks when it closes. Not to mention that in case any of the cells are opened without a key, there are numerous traps set to go off." Nodding, the redhead shifted her attention to the cells lining the far wall. Only one was occupied, but the prisoner was sitting so deep in the shadows that she almost didn't see him. "On your feet!" Naiteki ordered.

"I won't tell you anything," came a raspy voice.

"Getting to your feet does not mean open your mouth, boy. Now come here." She was staring at the door to the cell, staring into it with hard eyes. After a moment she said: "Senjo, go get him. Apparently a few days without food have rendered him deaf."

"You want me to go into the cell?"

"How else do you expect to get him? Now move!" More frightened of her mother than the unknown ninja, Senjo cautiously opened the door after Naiteki unlocked it. Her eyes were adjusting to the dim light of the lamps lining the chamber, and she could see a bit clearer. Their prisoner was in his early twenties, maybe a little younger, with tattered clothes of gray camouflage. His forehead protector was tied around his leg, and Senjo noticed a bloody bandage beneath it. His dark hair was stringy and matted, his face pale and eyes fluttering closed every few moments. He was fighting to stay awake, and he must be starving if what her mother had said was true. Still being careful, she approached him with arms slightly at her sides, her right one near her weapon pouch. He moved his leg, and she heard the scrape of a chain across the stone, realizing he was tethered to the wall. He made no move towards or away from her, but continued to stare as she inched closer. Aside from one shackled leg, he had free movement otherwise, but he just sat still until she was right beside him.

"Stand up," she said softly.

"You'll have to drag me out of this cell," he shot back, his voice dry and a little choked. She tried not to feel sorry for him, but couldn't help it. Still, he was an enemy, and she had a job to do.

"I'll give you some water if you stand up and come with me," she whispered. His eyes widened, and he turned to stare at her.

"No one's offered me water before."

"There's a first time for everything. Now stand up and don't give me any trouble, all right?" He nodded and got shakily to his feet. Senjo steadied him a little, and they walked towards Naiteki, who had another key in her hand.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked as she bound his arms and then unlocked the shackle on his leg.

"Is there a water canteen down here?" Senjo asked.

"On that table by the stairs." Retrieving the precious liquid, Senjo held the container to the prisoner's lips and tipped it up so he could drink. He had gone through a quarter of the bottle before Naiteki took it away and recapped it. "Now then, on to business." She walked the man over to a chair and forced him to sit, bolting his legs to the chair, but leaving his hands bound in front of him. "As for your earlier comment, I can assure you that by the time we're through here, you will tell me everything you know, and you will do it willingly."

"Not likely."

"We'll see." Naiteki's smirk was a dangerous one, and Senjo began to get nervous. Did she really have what it took to be her mother's successor? Could she really go through with torturing someone for information? She had long thought about what being the village interrogator meant, ever since she had been told that to be a part of the Chuunin exam meant she might be forced to kill. Both Kurai and Kohaku had understood and accepted that part, but Senjo's very nature had made it difficult. She was not a ninjutsu or taijutsu user, and though she had been brought up knowing the life of a ninja, she still wasn't sure she could ever take a life. "Senjo?" Naiteki's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she glanced over sheepishly.

"Yes?" She caught the prisoner's eyes and focused on him. Maybe there was a way to find out what she needed without resorting to violence. After all, you could attract more flies with honey than vinegar, or however that saying went.

"I'm going to leave him to you, but I'll be back in two hours. If he hasn't talked by then, I'll show you both how we do things around here." Naiteki stalked up the steps like a predator watching her prey squirm beneath her. Once the door locked shut, Senjo pulled a roll of bandages and a kunai from her pouch.

"What are you doing?" the prisoner asked, staring wide-eyed.

"That bandage on your leg needs to be changed, and if you have any other injuries, I can fix them up a little for you. I'm not a med-nin, but I know a little something." She bent down and removed his forehead protector from around his wound, wincing when she saw the dark, blood-soaked bandages. Peeling them off carefully, she grabbed the canteen and began to wash the wound, smiling a little when it began bleeding again slightly. "Good, that should help get any excess dirt out." Tying a fresh bandage on, she wrapped his forehead protector around it again and stood back to admire her work. "There, all fixed. Anything else I should look at?"

"No, no, that's fine. Thank you." He was looking at the floor, the ceiling, his lap, anywhere else but at her. "I can't tell you anything. I'm only a regular Sound shinobi. Only Orochimaru-sama's personal squad knows anything."

"Actually, I think you can tell me a great deal. For instance, what were you doing out here? And why wasn't a deal made for your release?"

"I told you, I'm no one special. As for me being here, I was following orders."

"What were your orders?"

"To see how the Sand had recovered after the battle with Konoha. I was told to get as close as possible to assess your current military strength. That's when the border patrol found me."

"And what is our current military strength?" He stared at her, slightly puzzled. "I'd like to hear an impartial view. I know more than you about the ninjas who live here, but I want to know what you think."

"You would make deadly enemies and strong allies. To this day I don't know why Orochimaru-sama betrayed you. I wouldn't want the Sand coming after us."

"At least you know when you're outmatched. So, you have a name?"

"Daisuke. Sunomo Daisuke."

"Tanamari Senjo, pleased to make your acquaintance." She patted his bound hands, smiling up at him. Daisuke looked away and frowned.

"I still can't tell you anything."

"But you already have. You've told me your name, why you were here, and what you found. You even told me an opinion you had, all in conversation."

"Aren't you going to try and torture me? You know, hit me or cut off a finger or something if I don't give up my secrets?" Senjo stared at him with one eyebrow raised. He was one strange guy.

"Don't tell me you just became a Genin before they sent you out. Never suggest that an enemy torture you, and especially never suggest that you have secrets worth torturing you for. See, I'm not into the whole torture and threat scenario. I prefer to just talk to people. So unless you want that other woman to come back and do things her way, you might want to start talking to me."

"Will it be just like this? Just the two of us?"

"Sure. And don't go getting any ideas about trying to overpower me. I'm a Chuunin, and I can always lock you in a never-ending nightmare if you try anything stupid." The grin she added to that sentence made him pale, and she giggled. It was kind of fun watching him become nervous, and Senjo began to realize what her mother had been talking about. Standing up, she walked upstairs and knocked on the door. A moment later Naiteki opened it with a curious look on her face.

"Done already? It hasn't even been an hour."

"We're done for today. But tomorrow I want to come back and talk to him again."

"Where is he?"

"Still in the chair. I don't have the keys, so I had to get you."

"Wait up here." Naiteki went downstairs, and Senjo walked into the office and shut the door behind her. A few minutes later, the door opened and her mother closed it and sat down on the nearest desk.

"You talked to him? That's it? He hasn't said a word to anyone other than to be difficult. How did you get him to talk?"

"I was nice to him. I got him out of the cell by offering him water, and then I changed the bandage on his leg for him. I didn't find out much, but it was a start."

"So what did he say?"

"He was ordered to come here to assess our military strength, and he was going to report that we were still a formidable force. Then he told me his name, and agreed to talk to me as long as it was just the two of us."

"Senjo, you never cease to amaze me. You might not have my style, but you certainly get results. We might have to try teaming up against any further prisoners."

"That is a frighteningly good idea, mother. How about we team up on father and make him cook dinner to celebrate my first successful interrogation?" Naiteki smirked, then stood and began walking towards the front door.

"Sounds like an idea worthy of my successor."

* * *

After dinner, Senjo headed out towards the cliffs, hoping to catch Kurai in one of his practice sessions. Though that area was also where Gaara tended to go, the young Chuunin never seemed to care, and Senjo mused that he secretly wanted to run into the desert child one night. Sure enough, he was practicing with a sand clone, and barely paid her any mind when she sat a little ways away. When he had reduced the clone to dust, he faced her. "What?"

"I just came to talk."

"I don't have time, Senjo."

"Oh come on, Kurai-kun-"

"Don't. Not tonight. I have techniques I need to perfect, and I can't have you in my way. Go home."

"Since when have I ever gotten in your way?" The smirk was back in an instant, but this time, Kurai seemed more like he was looking down on her than just being a jerk.

"You can't really do anything on your own. Kohaku and I always have to soften the enemy up before your techniques are of any use. Even my father said you lack the drive your mother had to learn any other offensive techniques." Senjo's jaw practically hit the ground as she stared at him. Why was he insulting her all of a sudden?

"I thought we were a team-"

"We were, Senjo, but that's over now. Chuunins only work with teams when necessary, and Jounins receive mostly solo missions. Face it, we're all on our own. From now on, you have to rely only on yourself."

"I can do that. But I need to know that I can still come to you after a mission is over. Will you be there for me then?" He turned away for a moment, and a suddenly chill wind whipped over them, and Senjo shivered.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean? Kurai… Kurai-kun, you promised me you wouldn't let your father and the others do this to you. You made me promise to wait for you, and I did. Who you are now isn't the person I made that promise to."

"If you'd like, I can release you from that promise." She stared at him, eyes wide as she tried to understand why he'd said that. Finally she walked over to him, and he turned just in time to catch her hand across his face. His eyes burned with anger, but hers were just the same.

"How dare you! I'm the only one who can decide which promises I do or do not keep. Release me? Like I'm some doting pet? Of all the stupid… You bastard!" She hit him again, but he just stood there and took her punch, which wasn't as hard as she'd hoped. Whirling around and balling her hands into fists, Senjo raced back to the village. Behind her, Kurai stood watching her, wiping a trickle of blood from his split lip.

"I'm sorry, Senjo-chan. It's for the best."

* * *

Hajino Atsui was sitting outside her house watching the stars when she saw a familiar form running up the street. It was Senjo all right, but she seemed in a hurry. Too much of a hurry, because she tripped over a rock and fell to her knees in the dirt. Atsui hurried out to her when she did not get up, but was surprised when she heard what sounded like choked sobs coming from the redhead. "Senjo? Senjo, what's wrong? Were you attacked? What happened? Where were you coming from?"

"Atsui-san, he hates me!" Her face was pale, and her breathing erratic. But by the look in her eyes, the woman could guess who she meant, and sighed heavily.

"What has my son done this time?"

"He hates me! He promised me he wouldn't change, and he did. And then he said I didn't have to wait for him, like he made me promise before he left. And-"

"Senjo, Senjo, shh. Come in the house and I'll make some tea." Helping her up, Atsui guided the distraught girl into the house, praying that Taru stayed at his brother's for just a few hours more. Once they were in the kitchen, Atsui busied herself making some tea, and then she sat next to Senjo and stroked her hair. She had done it enough when the girl had been younger, and Naiteki and Seishin had been busy on a mission. It had been nice to have someone to comfort. Her own children were distant, even Daichi who was the warmest of the three. Now though, it had been one of her children to cause such pain to someone she considered a surrogate daughter. "What happened?"

"Before Kurai left to train, he made me promise to wait for him. He told me that Makoto had once promised the same thing, but she went back on it." Atsui grimaced at the mention of the other girl's name. She had not been fond of the blonde aspiring med-nin, but had kept her mouth shut for Kurai's sake. When she had betrayed him, Atsui had been glad that Senjo had been there to alleviate the worst of the hurt he had suffered. "But he changed, Atsui-san. He's more like his father now than ever. I don't want to lose him. What should I do?"

"Senjo-"

"How do you stand being around Hajino-san? All he cares about is the family legacy and its fall." Senjo sat in silence after she said that, refusing to believe that she had just said that. That was Atsui-san's husband, her teammates' father. Oh, she was not having a good night. Atsui was silent as she stood and poured the tea into two cups and served her guest. After a few more minutes, she said softly:

"He wasn't always like you see him, Senjo. When I first met Taru, he was different. He still trained hard and wanted the best for his family, but he was content to be both the Hajino heir and himself. When the plan to create Gaara was first brought up, he felt betrayed by the Kazekage, that he needed to make one person when an entire family had the ability he sought. And when Shukaku was reborn, he still refused to believe that a mere baby could ever surpass his line. Kurai and Kohaku were his pride and joy, and he had such high hopes for them. Hopes that turned to demands when it was discovered that Gaara had indeed surpassed even the most senior members of the Hajino clan. Kurai has too much of his father in him, and he takes everything as a personal affront to his honor. I fear that neither of them will be happy until Gaara is dead. And then I wonder if that would satisfy them if they were not the ones to bring him down? Kohaku and Daichi are different, though my daughter still follows the wishes of her father and brother. But she has her own rival to overcome, and that is what truly separates her."

"Is there anything that can stop Kurai from acting like this?"

"I don't know. Right now the only ones who can reach Kurai are you and Kohaku, and she's decided to let him go down his own path for now."

"So I'm it then? Even Kohaku gave up?"

"No, she didn't give up. I think she knows that you never will." Senjo stared into her tea for a moment, thinking back to the picture on her wall. She needed to get back the old Kurai, she just had to.

"Thank you, Atsui-san. I knew you'd understand."

"Is that why you were in this part of the village?"

"Not on purpose. I just started running and wound up here."

"I guess that means you feel safe here."

"I do. You, Kohaku, Kurai, and even Daichi are like another family to me. I've always been able to come here and feel like I'm part of something." They embraced, and then Senjo left for her own house. Atsui watched her go, then turned away with a sad smile. Her eyes alighted on a family picture that had been taken soon after the twins had achieved Chuunin rank. Everyone looked so happy…

"Kurai, don't throw away one of the best things to ever happen to you. Stop trying to be like your father and just be yourself. I only hope Senjo can make you understand."

* * *

"So Daisuke, are you feeling better today?" Senjo asked when he'd finished eating. Naiteki had suggested making it seem like she was sneaking him food, but Senjo was just content that he was being fed at all. That it made him trust her more was an added bonus.

"Yes, thank you." He was sitting in his cell, though unchained. His leg wound had even improved, and his recently washed forehead protector was now back on his head. "What did you want to talk about today?" They had chatted about everything during the last few days, mostly about seemingly-inconsequential things. He had originally been a Genin from the Hidden Village of Stone. Orochimaru had passed through there years ago, choosing what Daisuke had thought to be his own elite team. Out of the six Stone ninjas to join, only two were left, and now it was down to one. Senjo had requested that a message be sent to his former village, letting them know the fate of their missing-nins, and asking what they wanted done with Daisuke. It would be a while before they received a reply, however.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about your village leader."

"Orochimaru-sama? What about him?"

"Does he ever say anything to the regular shinobi? Has he discussed where he's from, why he does things, or what his goals are?" Daisuke shifted nervously, looking away. "Please, I need to know."

"He wants to destroy Konoha, but none of us know why. I've heard that he had spies there, but they might've been pulled out when Kabuto-san left."

"Kabuto? Who's he?"

"A medic-nin, and one of Orochimaru-sama's personal guards. He used to be part of Konoha too, but he's been a Sound ninja for longer than I have."

"So Orochimaru is also from Konoha?"

"Oh yes, he's one of the Sannin, the legendary three." Senjo's jaw hit the floor. He was one of the Sannin! They were supposedly the strongest shinobi in the world, trained in Konoha under the third Hokage. But, wouldn't that make them old?

"He has a lot of ambition for an old man."

"Orochimaru-sama isn't old," Daisuke shot back. "He's immortal."

"Immortal? No one can live forever, Daisuke. Eventually, death catches up with everyone." But he shook his head, and a smile crossed his face.

"Death will never catch him. Everyone in the village has heard the rumors, but I think they're true. When he still in Konoha, Orochimaru-sama perfected a technique that would allow him to live forever."

"There is no such technique. If there was, someone would've learned it long ago."

"He experimented on people, or at least that's what the rumors say. That's why he was kicked out."

"Wait, he was exiled from Konoha?"

"That's what I heard. Oh, maybe that's why he wants to destroy it." The wheels were starting to turn in Senjo's mind, but she didn't like where any of her thoughts were leading. This man, one of the legendary three, was utterly twisted. Evil was a viewpoint, but if she had to call him anything, that would be it. He'd taken his own neighbors and used them to perfect a technique that must've been forbidden, all to become immortal? And he'd tried to use her village to help him take over Konoha? But what did he really want with that village? They had too many powerful families for it to be an easy takeover, as had already been proven. So was there something else there?"

"Does he want Konoha destroyed, or does he just want it under his rule?"

"Honestly, I think it's all the same to him. Again, all I've heard are rumors."

"Well, what other rumors are there? At this point, you just keep worrying me."

"Senjo, it isn't right for me to predict what he could do. For all I know he could be planning to destroy this village right now."

"We'll worry about that if it happens. I'm more worried about Konoha."

"But why? Aren't you enemies?"

"Yes and no. It's the same way with all the villages. Pay us enough or offer us the right incentive, and we'll ally with anyone. I don't like to admit it, but it's the truth. But, I do have friends in Konoha, and I don't want to see anything happen to them."

"Oh. Well, there was one more rumor to the immortality one. Supposedly the body can't last forever, so Orochimaru-sama needs to find a new one. Right now it's up in the air because one of his elite guards is ill, and it was thought that he was going to be the new body."

"Would someone really just give over their body to him like that?"

"Orochimaru-sama can be very persuasive, and he has power to back it up. He even gives people his own seal, to show just how close to him they are."

"Seal? What does it look like?"

"Everyone has a different one, but only his elite guards get them. Except, I don't think Kabuto-san has one."

"Why? Doesn't Orochimaru trust him?

"He trusts him the most. But I think the seal is visible, or can become visible at some points. Kabuto-san was a spy for so long, that I guess they didn't want the seal getting in the way and causing trouble."

"What does the seal do?"

"It gives its bearer power. It's a great honor to receive one, because that means Orochimaru-sama not only trusts you, but knows you can handle the power."

"So if he offered you one, you'd take it?" He looked her dead in the eyes.

"Wouldn't you?"

"That would depend on the price. There's always a cost to everything, and some things are not worth giving up just for power."

"You're from Sand village, so how can you not want power? There are ninjas from all over the world who accept that gift."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? My village is powerful, but our lord just refused to see it. That's why we went against Konoha, to show our power. And as much as we were allies, we both lost. Why is that?"

"I don't know. Maybe Konoha is just that powerful?"

"Your leader is one of the Sannin, right? Shouldn't he have been able to do something? He killed our Kazekage easily enough."

"He had help for that. But he was fighting his mentor in Konoha. I don't know exactly what happened, but even though he managed to kill the Hokage, the old man did something before he died. That's partially why a retreat was called. That, and Gaara never showed." Eyes wide, Senjo balled her hand into a fist.

"Gaara? How was he part of the attack?"

"Orochimaru-sama wanted to use Shukaku to help wipe out the majority of the forces. But when he never showed-"

"You wanted to use that demon?" she screamed. "Do you have any idea how unstable it is? Gaara can barely control it, and if he ever gave Shukaku complete control…" She shivered at the thought, then narrowed her eyes. "So the desert child was your trump card? That's a pretty big risk."

"No, Gaara was your trump card. Ours was ill at the time of the attack, and I heard that he was dying."

"The Sound village has a demon of its own?"

"No, nothing like that. Kimimaru-san has been a loyal follower of Orochimaru-sama for many years. He has a bloodline limit that's unbeatable. That's why he was supposed to be the next vessel. But now I'm not sure who that will be." Senjo's head was spinning with all the new information, and she had to let her mother know. This was serious, especially if even half of what she was hearing was true.

"Daisuke, I need to go. But I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" He nodded, then walked back to the wall of the cell and sat down.

"No one can beat him, Senjo. Orochimaru-sama will one day take over all the villages. It's better to be his follower than a slave."

"It's also better to die on your feet than live on your knees. If he came here, this village would stand and fight just like Konoha, and I'm sure the village of Stone would do the same thing. You can't give up just because you think the situation is hopeless. Sooner or later help will arrive, or you'll find the opening you need. Nothing is ever set in stone." Turning away, Senjo headed up the stairs and knocked on the door. Naiteki opened it, a questioning look on her face. "Brace yourself, mother. This is going to be a long week."

* * *

Kohaku was heading home from border patrol when she spotted Kurai heading down the street. "Come with me," he said.

"Where to?"

"No questions, just follow me." She did so, but there was something wrong with all this. Kurai had barely said a word to anyone except their father since his return. She'd overheard her mother talking to Naiteki-san about something he'd said to Senjo, but Kohaku had resolved to stay out of it. They ended up at the playground, but none of the children were around, and the setting sun cast long shadows over the twins.

"What is it, Kurai?"

"Father wants me to challenge Gaara. " The silence hung in the air after he spoke, and Kohaku did nothing but stare at him. Yes, Kurai was powerful, and definitely more skilled with the bloodline than most of their relatives, herself included. But to even **think **of challenging Gaara…

"What did you tell him?" she finally asked.

"It said it sounded like a good idea."

"So you **are** suicidal," a new voice said as they whirled around. Kankuro was perched on the top of the swings, which were occupied by two puppets. The twins were sure that no one had been anywhere near them a moment before.

"Mind your own business," Kurai told him.

"Normally I would, but what you want to do could stir up something. Something I'd rather not deal with."

"Shukaku? Let him release the demon. We'll see who the true master of the sand is then." Kankuro started laughing, and the puppets began chattering along.

"You're a long way from defeating Gaara, Kurai. There's sand, and then there's **Gaara's sand**. Only he can control it, and only he can keep Shukaku at bay. Save yourself the humiliation and just deal with it like we have."

"You're scared of him," Kohaku said, a smirk twisting her lips.

"Scared and having a healthy respect are two different things."

"Please. You don't respect Gaara any more than we do. You feel that he was given too much too soon, all because of Shukaku. After all, Kankuro, you were the only son before Gaara came along. And he even has you and Temari afraid of him." The black-clad boy jumped off the swings and walked towards them, but the puppets stayed where they were.

"If you two really want to kill yourselves all for your father's sake, then go right ahead. But my father's ambitions got him killed, and now Temari and I have to deal with Gaara by ourselves. Just don't challenge him anywhere near me." He walked away, and the puppets stood and followed, and they stared at the twins when they passed. Once they were alone, Kohaku let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"I hate those things. Karasu was bad enough, but now there's another one?"

"I'm surprised you remembered its name. They're just puppets," Kurai shot back.

"Yes, but would you ever want to fight those things? I have to admit, his control is almost flawless."

"Control is one thing, but power is another. If you have both, victory is assured."

"Power isn't everything. One wrong move and I can still turn a fight around. No one thing wins it."

"Care to put that statement to the test?" Kurai dropped into a fighting stance, but Kohaku just shook her head and turned away.

"I won't fight you, Kurai. You already know that when you're thinking clearly, I'm no match for you. I'm a better defender, at least with our ability. My ninjutsu is more offensive, and most of my attacks are useless on you."

"I still say you should focus less on the fire. How much good do they do here?" She turned back, a smile on her face now.

"I might not always be around here, and I like them. You don't see many of our ninjas using fire techniques."

"Konoha has more use for that."

"That's where I got the idea. There's a reason I developed my techniques during the Chuunin exam break. If you remember, one of our opponents in the forest used one."

"He wasn't very good at it though, not like Sasuke was with his."

"The Uchiha clan specialized in fire jutsus. Along with their bloodline limit, they were Konoha's most elite family."

"And yet they were cut down by one of their own. Makes you wonder."

"About what, that it could happen to other families? Let's get one thing straight: If you ever tried to kill our clan, I would take you out myself."

"You just said that if I'm thinking clearly that you're no match for me."

"If you were trying to kill us, you wouldn't be thinking clearly. Besides, I'd have Daichi helping me." Kurai laughed, but she shook her head. "Don't write him off, Kurai. He might be our little brother, but without you and father here he really came into his own. I was supervising his training, and I gave him some freedom."

"I thought he wasn't using those techniques anymore? He told me-"

"They are his techniques, Kurai, and no one else's. You should trying listening to Daichi once in a while. He's not a child anymore."

"He's still our little brother, and nowhere near my level." Kohaku began walking away, shaking her head and laughing slightly.

"You'd be surprised to learn how level the field becomes when you think differently than your opponent," she said to herself.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Mother, do you think we should discuss what we've learned from Daisuke with the Kazekage?" Senjo asked a few days later.

"First of all, do not use his name. Call him "the prisoner". Second, there isn't much he's said that we need to cause a panic here. Only Konoha seems a likely target, and I'm sure they're keeping watch for **any** Sound ninjas."

"It's just that something doesn't seem right with all this. Even if Orochimaru has developed an immortality technique, what's the point? He can't outlive his former village, and there will always be a Hokage to defend it. Ninjas are born, we fight, and we die. Why break the cycle?"

"Why indeed? Perhaps our prisoner knows, or has heard some rumors. And if he won't tell you, Senjo, take the information you need."

"Yes ma'am." Naiteki opened the door and watched her daughter descend the stairs before locking it again. Daisuke was standing at the front of his cell, looking like a puppy who knew it was getting a treat.

"So, you were able to get anything tonight?" She smiled slightly and pulled an apple, some bread, and a bit of meat she'd saved from dinner last night. Along with a canteen of water, he was soon happily munching away.

"Daisuke, I need to ask you something, and you need to tell me the truth, all right?" He looked up, a little puzzled, but nodded. "Orochimaru's immortality technique... Why did he create it? What's the point of living forever?"

"Power. That's what everything in Sound boils down to. Orochimaru-sama wants to learn every ninja technique in the world. But he needs a lot of time to do that, so that's why it's said that he created his immortality technique."

"Wait, every ninja technique? That's not possible. Unless-"

"He does human experimentation. That's why I was glad I don't have any special abilities. But anyone with a bloodline or special techniques interests him greatly."

"So he experiments on shinobi to learn their secrets? That's worse than torture."

"To some people, but not him. And if there was an easier way to learn techniques, I'm sure we wouldn't mind."

"Well it's not like he has the Sharingan- Oh shit!" Turning on her heel and leaving Daisuke in a bit of shock, she bounded up the stairs and began pounding on the door until Naiteki opened it in a hurry, a kunai in her hand.

"What is it, what happened? Where's the prisoner?"

"He's in his cell, but there's no time. We need to see the Kazekage and send a message to Konoha!"

"Why?" Senjo was already at the door, thinking of what to say in the letter.

"Uchiha Sasuke is Orochimaru's next target. And if what I saw when I was there is any indication, Sasuke will join Orochimaru for the promise of power the first chance he gets."

* * *

"You're sure about this, Naiteki?"

"Yes Kazekage-sama. Under Senjo's watch, the prisoner admitted that Orochimaru has developed a new technique with regards to prolonging his life. She also learned that he does this so that he may one day learn every ninja technique in existence."

"The power of a man with a child's ambitions," the older man said as he shook his head and sighed. "And you believe the attack on Konoha had another purpose?"

"It would seem that Orochimaru has his sights set on obtaining the Sharingan trait. I spoke with one of Uchiha Sasuke's teammates while in Konoha, and she told me that he'd been marked by Orochimaru during the Chuunin exam. That might be the seal the prisoner was referring to," Kohaku spoke up. Senjo had found her at home and insisted she be a part of the meeting. While she was glad she'd come along, the more things were discussed, the more worried she became. Orochimaru seemed to promise people power, and in most cases he seemed able to provide it. Sasuke wanted power, there was no doubt about that. But would he turn his back on his village, his friends, and his team? Then an image of Tansei popped into her mind, and she knew the answer. Yes, he would sacrifice everything to gain more power. But could they do anything to stop him?

"So it appears that Orochimaru is no threat to this village then?" the Kazekage asked, resting his chin on his hands.

"Not at the moment," Senjo replied. "But who's to say he won't attempt to take our secrets one day? With the body of an Uchiha and his human experimentation, he could feasibly take and copy every village's most powerful families."

"Yes, there is that long-term concern. I will send a message to the new Hokage explaining our findings. If my history is correct, she was a former teammate of Orochimaru. Should it come down to it, we might send a team to Konoha to further assess the situation. You are all dismissed until further notice."

"Yes sir," the women said as they bowed and left. Once outside, Naiteki began heading back to her office.

"I need to finish some paperwork, so I'll see you later, Senjo. Oh Kohaku, let your father know that I'll be by tomorrow to dicuss a few things."

"I will. Good night, Naiteki-san."

"Do you think we'll be sent back to Konoha?" Senjo asked once her mother was out of earshot.

"Why would we?" Kohaku asked in reply. "Orochimaru is a powerful shinobi, and he surrounds himself with strong guards. He'd be an S-rank mission, which is out of our league right now."

"Why would anyone join him? He doesn't seem to care about anything but his own goals."

"He gives people power, and he seeks out those who want it. That's why he came here, because we would've done anything to defeat Konoha. I'm sure he's found recruits in every hidden village he's been to, willing or not."

"At least he didn't take any of our people." Kohaku smiled dryly, shoving her hands into her pants' pockets.

"Not that we know of. There are a number of people who might join Orochimaru if he asked."

"Name one," Senjo challenged.

"Kurai. If he were promised the power to beat Gaara, he'd be a Sound ninja tomorrow."

"That's a pretty fair assumption," Temari said as she and Gaara walked up from a side street.

"I thought so. Good night Senjo, Temari." Turning on her heel, Kohaku walked back towards her house.

"Sorry about that," Senjo apologized, smiling slightly at the pair.

"Don't be," Temari told her. "That's just Kohaku's way. At least she has more sense than her brother."

"What do you mean?"

"Kankuro informed us that Kurai is thinking of challenging me," Gaara answered. Senjo blinked a few times before speaking, after picking her jaw off the ground.

"Why would he do something like that?"

"His father's orders."

"Gaara, please don't fight him. I know Kurai can be an arrogant ass, but please don't accept his challenge."

"I have nothing to fear from him." Senjo hesistated a moment before placing a hand softly on his shoulder. Temari raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"That's why I'm asking you to disregard any type of challenge from him. I don't want to lose him."

"Why should I care? If Kurai wants to challenge me, then I will accept."

"When I first got back from Konoha, I talked to you about being friends. You said you would consider my words. So if you truly have changed, if you really want to put the past behind you, don't fight Kurai."

"What are you asking me as? His teammate, his significant other, or yourself?" His eyes met hers, and Senjo smiled softly, not even needing to think of the answer.

"As someone who wants to be your friend. As Tanamari Senjo, I'm asking you. You already know you can beat him. In fact, I think the only ones who don't know that are Kurai and his father." She removed her hand, and Gaara began to walk away, but stopped to face her again.

"You are right that I know I can defeat him. If he does challenge me, I won't promise that I won't accept. However, I won't injure him too badly, because there's no reason to. That I will promise."

"Thank you." He left the girls standing in the street, and Temari shook her head and laughed.

"You never give up, do you?"

"You make that sound like a bad thing."

"Not in this case. You must've met that Naruto boy in Konoha when you were there."

"Does it show? Something about him reminded me of myself. Always wanting to see the good in people, and never giving up on my friends. I think the world needs more people like that."

"Senjo, I think Naruto is enough for the world. I'll see you around." Temari headed after Gaara, and Senjo began the walk back to her house.

"I need to be this village's Naruto. Just, not as loud and clumsy," she said to herself with a chuckle.

* * *

The next day at the Hajino household, it was business as usual. But only a few minutes after they finished breakfast, a knock sounded on the door. "Who could that be?" Atsui wondered as she wiped her hands on her apron and left the room. A minute later she returned with a scroll tube and handed it to Kurai. "You and Kohaku have an urgent mission, and the Kazekage wishes to see you immediately to discuss the details."

"We're going," Kurai said, standing up and taking the tube from her. Kohaku quickly retrieved her vest and her staff from her room, pausing in the kitchen to ruffle Daisuke's hair. Out in the street, the twins began jogging to the Kazekage's office.

"You two seem in a hurry," Kankuro said as he came up behind them. Karasu was beside him, and it looked like the other puppet was in its bindings on Kankuro's back. However, Kohaku wasn't sure if the "boy" was a puppet or the real thing.

"We have an urgent mission," Kurai shot back, not even looking at him.

"What a coincidence. So do we." They had reached the office, and the guards let them pass without question.

"We?"

"It seems you might need help on this mission," Temari said as she opened the door. Gaara and Senjo were already in the office, as well as the Kazekage, who raised a hand.

"Before anyone starts a fight in my office, you will all hear the mission briefing."

"Yes sir," everyone answered, bowing.

"As Kohaku and Senjo are aware, I was going to send a message to the Hokage regarding our findings on Orochimaru. However, this morning I received a message from her explaining that Uchiha Sasuke has been taken by the Sound. The Hokage has asked us for help in retrieving him, and I was originally going to send a three-person team. Senjo suggested that two teams be sent, one to directly aid in the retrieval of the boy, and one to deal with the Sound guards around him."

"Kazekage-sama, we don't need the help of an abomination," Kurai said, anger rising in his eyes. "My team will be fine for this mission."

"You make it seem as if you have a say in this matter, Kurai. This is an order. All six of you will be going. Your team will be going after Sasuke directly. Gaara, your team will deal with any Sound nins and aid the Konoha team where they can."

"Konoha team?" Temari asked.

"Yes, the Hokage has sent her own team, but she has admitted that they might need help. Apparently it's a five-man team with a Chuunin leader and the rest are Genins. You will all leave immediately."

"Yes sir." The six Sand ninjas left the office, and once in the streets, broke into their teams.

"We'll meet in Konoha once our missions are complete," Kurai said.

"Agreed," Gaara replied as he and his siblings took off. Once they were away, Kurai glared at the readhead beside him.

"Senjo, I can't believe you did that. Aren't we enough?"

"Kurai-kun, we don't have time to argue about this. I have my reasons for requesting Gaara's team as backup, and I know you will never understand them. Now let's get our mission started."

"She's right," Kohaku said, securing her staff to her back. "The longer we stand here, the further away our target gets. We can all kill each other later, but right now we need to move." Mumbling something under his breath, Kurai nodded. They were racing towards the gates to the village a moment later, hoping they would be in time.

* * *

That night as they lay down for a few hours, Kurai found he couldn't sleep. Kohaku was on watch, and he leapt up next to her on the tree branch. "I said I'll take first watch. Go back to sleep."

"I can't. You know I barely sleep on missions."

"Try this time." Her tone was flat, bordering on annoyed. What had he done to anger her? He'd kept mostly to himself after returning from the training ordeal. She'd seemed distant then, like she had tried to put him out of her mind while he was away. Or maybe she had been bothered that she had not gone as well? The twins had always been inseperable for the most part, but that training had been the first real time they'd spent apart. Father hadn't even mentioned Kohaku's name at all during the training. Perhaps that was it?

"Are you jealous that father trained me and not you? I could teach-" She had a kunai at his throat before he could react, but she had come from behind him. Eyes wide, Kurai watched as the clone in front of him disappeared. When had she begun using non-fire replicants?

"There is nothing I want to learn from you, **big brother**," she whispered harshly in his ear. "While you were off becoming the incarnation of our family's hatred, I was doing some soul-searching. I might not care for the desert child, but I'm not going to go challenge him just to prove a point. I can adapt Kurai, but can you? Don't make Senjo regret her feelings for you."

"She seems more interested in the abomination these days." Again the blade pressed against his throat, and Kurai could feel it bite into his skin.

"How sad is that, when she would rather spend time with Gaara than the boy I know she loves. We are Chuunin of Sand village, Kurai. It's time we left our clan's childish views behind and start acting like it. I am still a Hajino, but I am myself as well. Now if you don't want to sleep, then I will. Goodnight." Kohaku resheathed her kunai and leapt to the ground, curling up next to Senjo. Kurai rubbed his neck and came away with blood, and he swore under his breath.

"How could I expect her to understand? If I can't defeat the vessel, then what good am I? Better to be killed on this mission than face our family if I lose."

* * *

They broke camp at dawn, still having quite a bit of ground to cover. Running at full speed, they soon entered the forest that designated the border to the fire country, and Konoha was only a day or so away. "If only we knew where the Sound village was from here. Senjo, did the prisoner ever tell you?" Kohaku asked.

"No, I actually never asked. It didn't really seem important at the time."

"Wonderful. All right, here's the plan. We'll keep heading towards Konoha, but we'll cover more ground if we split up," Kurai ordered. "And remember, our job is to locate Sasuke and bring him back. Try not to get injured."

"That goes for you too," Kohaku retorted as they broke formation and took different routes.

"Meet back at the village if you don't find him by tomorrow!" Senjo's voice called back. Her staff tied securely to her back, Kohaku began following a faint chakra trail that seemed oddly familiar. She wasn't nearly as good at discerning people by chakra as Kurai, but she could track just as well. The trees seemed to grow taller and further apart the farther she went, and still it just seemed that one person had gone this way. There was no way that it was Sasuke, but perhaps it was a scout or advance unit for Orochimaru's people. It wasn't strong enough to be the man himself, so there was no fear of running into a death trap. She had gone a mile or so when her arms began tingling, and a strange sound echoed through the trees.

"What the hell?" A moment later she doubled over on a branch as her arms throbbed, the pain centered at her scars. "This isn't a genjutsu, so what-" Movement on the tree across from her silenced any further questions. The figure was male, with gray pants and a tan short-sleeved shirt. There were no weapons except for a belt pouch which probably had shuriken and kunai in it. His face still in shadow, the stranger remained motionless, as if assessing her. Kohaku gritted her teeth and fought back the pain as she stood and grabbed her staff, leaning heavily on it. "Where is Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Uchiha Sasuke?" a familiar voice asked as the sound and pain stopped. "You mean Orochimaru-sama's new toy?" Kohaku's breath caught in her throat as the figure moved into the light. It had been a little over two years, but Akanaho Tansei had changed little. The only difference was that his forehead protector now bore the Village of Sound's symbol instead of the Sand, and his old one was tied to his arm and had a deep X slash through the metal plate. The symbolism was not lost on her, and Kohaku narrowed her eyes and dropped into a defensive crouch. He would not catch her off-guard again.

"Tansei? What-"

"Am I doing here? Obeying orders, the same as you. Except that I'm going to enjoy this mission, unlike you three who are acting like little dolls for Konoha. I knew I'd meet you here, as well. That was my chakra trail you were following, after all."

"So that's where you went after betraying us? From one demon to the next?"

"Betrayed you? That implies that I ever cared about the village to begin with. Or did you mean yourself specifically? You aren't still hung up on me, are you? I did try to kill you, remember?" Kohaku pulled up her armguards, showing her scars as she crossed her arms in front of her.

"I haven't forgotten what you did that day, or what I promised myself. But I have to know: Why?" Tansei smirked and tossed back his spiked, dirty-blonde hair, revealing sand-colored eyes.

"Power. I needed to gain more power, and you were in my way. Always trying to say that it didn't matter, that it was okay. At one point, I even believed you. I began thinking that maybe it was okay if I wasn't the best, and to let someone else just have that title. But I soon realized that you and Kurai just wanted all the power for yourselves. Gaara had already gotten to it, and you didn't want another threat."

"That's a lie! The demon gave Gaara all that power; he didn't have to work for it at all. You were never a threat, Tansei. We hated Gaara because he took our family's secrets and perverted them. He could do things as a child that my father couldn't even attempt. But you had your own techniques, and your own style. We respected you, and Kurai even said that you were the only one he considered a real rival. He worked hard to be the best because he didn't want to be behind you. How were you a threat?"

"Because you and Kurai were always better! You barely had to try because of your bloodline, and everything came easy to you. But I don't have an ability like that to fall back on, and it began showing as we got older. In our world of perfection, second best would never be good enough. Test grades, combat prowess, even the respect of the others. Kurai had it all, and you had it by default. No one wanted to waste their time helping me beat the best we had at the time. Even Temari and Kankuro were too busy dealing with Gaara to be of any help. It was all left up to me, and I couldn't do it on my own. But when I left the village, I found someone willing to help me be the best."

"Orochimaru? I've heard enough about him to not be impressed. He's as twisted as the snakes he summons, Tansei. All he wants is what's best for himself, and he's willing to sacrifice everyone to achieve his goals. What could he have given you?"

"Power." The smirk turned into an evil grin as black, wavy lines began creeping across the right side of his face and down his arm. They looked like waves, or the heat shimmers that Senjo created to hide. It reminded her of- No! Those were similar markings to the ones Sasuke had right before he went berserk. "Orochimaru-sama gave me a seal of power. I've heard some call it a curse, but to me it is a blessing." He tilted his head and smiled at her.

"Tansei, please-"

"This time Kohaku, your brother isn't here to save you. Fight and die, or just let me kill you. It's all the same to me." He leapt at her, and Kohaku readied herself to fight.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Many thanks to CelticKitten (aka Senjo) for writing the memories for Tansei and Kuro's attacks!

Chapter 11

Her staff blocked his first charge, but her arms almost buckled under the pressure he exerted. If he had the same power as Sasuke, she was in trouble. The damage he'd done to her arms had never fully healed, and Kohaku knew she was weaker than she'd been. She needed Kurai and Senjo, but she had no way of contacting them. No, this time she was on her own. "Feeling defeated already?"

"I never admit defeat!" Leaping out of the trees, she threw her staff down and prepared her seals. "Hinote bunshin no jutsu (Fire Clone)!" Kohaku and her two copies dove into the bushes, and Tansei landed to see only the bladed staff stuck in the ground.

"You can't hide forever. Without your staff you're at a severe disadvantage. I know all your moves."

"You know nothing," Kohaku said as the three of her stood up in a triangle pattern around him.

"Replications won't stop me for long." He drew a kunai and charged at the nearest one, but she ducked out of the way. Another pulled the staff free and swung at him, catching his shoulder with the tip. "You really think that toothpick will do anything against me?" The wound bled, but he ignored it and advanced on the staff holder. "So you have a few new tricks, but you still need your weapon. Just like Temari and her damn fan, or Kankuro and his freaky puppet. Even Gaara has his sand. Why follow in their footsteps? A true shinobi needs only himself."

"A moment ago you were trying to kill me. Now you're offering advice? I know my limitations, Tansei. Fighting you hand-to-hand exceeds those limits." He lunged again, but she blocked quickly, then again as he aimed for her throat. Suddenly he spun into her, pressing the blade between her ribs and grinning. Kohaku gasped as her other selves backed away, and the staff clattered to the ground.

"Still leaving your right side open? Not very smart." But even as he spoke, Tansei felt the air grow hot, and his kunai began burning his hand. "Shit!" The clone dissolved into a ball of flame, and it caught his shirt on fire.

"Katon: Hirogerukyuu no jutsu (Fire Element: Expanding Fireball)!" Kohaku quickly attacked again with her combo move, watching as the fire spread over his whole body and enveloped a small area around him in intense flames. She smelled smoke, like a campfire, and instantly leapt back into the trees. Her clone dove into the bushes once more, taking the staff with it. "Come out, Tansei. I know you're not dead."

"What gave it away?" he asked, stepping out from behind a tree holding his burned arm to his chest. The fire near him burned out, leaving dead grass and a charred log at its center.

"People don't smell like wood smoke when they burn."

"I suppose you would know." Kohaku took a deep breath and then picked up a fist-sized stone. She smirked while it lengthened into a staff, and she pointed it at him.

"Let's finish this so I can get on with my mission."

* * *

Senjo wasn't exactly sure where she was, but it was somewhere near the Fire Country's border, and she didn't like that. "I hope I find someone soon. This place is starting to-" She pulled back from her jump just in time as a shuriken whizzed past her head and embedded itself in the trunk of the tree she had been eyeing. "What the hell?" A figure landed next to her, and she quickly got onto another branch. "Who are you?" 

"Oh Senjo-chan, I'm hurt. You've forgotten about me after all this time?" That voice. It was the voice that still haunted her dreams and pursued her in the waking world with memories of that night and the years she'd spent in partial enslavement.

"Kuro, you bastard! Where did you come from?" He stepped into the light, looking only older than the last time she'd seen him. Though now he wore a Sound forehead protector around his arm, and he seemed much more physical. The old Kuro would've never started an attack with shuriken.

"I came under the orders of our village leader, Orochimaru-sama. He said to send his regards to anyone pursuing Uchiha Sasuke, before we killed them."

"I'm not the same helpless girl you tried to hurt, Kuro. I am a Chuunin of Sand village, and I earned that title myself."

"Ah, poor deluded little Senjo. Of course you're the same girl I knew. After all, if it wasn't for me trying to hurt you in the first place, you never would've gotten stronger. I was testing you, but then that bitch Kohaku-"

"Don't you say anything bad about my team! All you did was use me, Kuro. But Kohaku protected and trained me, and Kurai cares about me. I think." The last part was said more to herself, and she tried to put a sincere face on.

"Cares about you? Kurai only cares about himself and his family legacy. If you weren't an easy target, he'd ignore you just like he did all the other girls."

"I am not easy! The Senjo you knew is gone, killed the night you tried to take my innocence. You are a monster, Kuro! And you are a far worse one than Gaara." His eyes narrowed, and Senjo took an involuntary step back. Sure, she could talk big, but Kuro could overpower her if he really wanted to. She needed to get away from him and find some friendly faces. Hopefully Kurai and Kohaku were fairing better than her.

"You know, Senjo-chan, you really ought to be thankful that I'm here. After all, I wouldn't want you to watch your teammates being killed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Makoto and Tansei are here too. And they were especially looking forward to seeing the Hajino twins again." Senjo paled, and yet at the same time her resolve was never firmer. Kuro needed to be dealt with, and then she needed to go help her friends.

"You had your chance, Kuro. Now it's my turn to show you what power is."

"Don't keep me waiting," he said, flexing his arms and stretching them over his head. As he did so, Senjo saw what looked black lines criss-crossing across his face and up his arm. As she watched, the pattern began to look like grid lines that ran up both sides of his body and spread across his face. "Ever seen one of these before?"

"Up close and personal, unfortunately. Sasuke at least looked intimidating. You just look stupid, Kuro." He narrowed his eyes and readied seals that Senjo recognized too late. Before she could make a move to defend herself, Kuro struck:

"Ninpou: Oboe kawari (Memory Change technique)."

* * *

Kurai was starting to think he was going the wrong way.The chakra trail he was following wasn't particularly strong, and he hadn't seen a trace of anyone else in at least two hours. Landing on the ground and assessing the terrain, he suddenly detected someone very close. They weren't moving, just staying in one spot behind the trees. They were either injured, or watching him, but they were an enemy more than likely. "Show yourself!" he called, taking a kunai from his pouch. 

"Still trying to give orders, Kurai-kun?" a high voice asked as a figure stepped into the small clearing. Long blonde hair framed her face, tied back with a scrap of white fabric. Her dark-green shirt had short sleeves, and her shorts were tan. A Sound headband was tied around her waist, and she placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

"Makoto? What the hell are you doing here?" She laughed, blue eyes shining mysteriously.

"I came to settle things, and to let you meet the man who replaced you."

"So, I finally get to see whether it was Tansei or Kuro who made you break your promise."

"I'm afraid it isn't either of them," she replied with one eyebrow raised. "In fact, they're probably playing catch-up with Senjo and your sister." Kurai was silent for a moment, staring at her. They were all here? Why? Had they somehow known who Sand village would send? No, that wasn't possible. They had only received the orders yesterday, and they hadn't detected any spies in the area. Unless someone from the village was reporting to Orochimaru? Or could the prisoner Senjo had been dealing with somehow been able to report back?

"You were sent to deal with us? How did the Sound know we would come?"

"We didn't, actually. My team was to monitor the progress of Uchiha Sasuke and further escort him to Orochimaru-sama. We were deployed along with Kimimaru-san, the most elite Sound ninja."

"Well, since he and your traitorous teammates aren't here, who's with you? Everyone knows you're only a back-up fighter."

"I already told you I would introduce you to the man I left you for." Footsteps sounded behind him, and Kurai turned slowly, tightening his grip on the kunai. What he saw stole his breath for a moment as he felt like he had been kicked in the chest. Standing in front of him, wearing a Sound headband, black shirt and shorts, and a smirk, was a duplicate of himself. "Kurai, meet **my** Kurai-kun. Your replacement, and my front-man."

* * *

"Why do you continue to struggle?" Tansei wondered as he advanced on Kohaku. "You couldn't stand up to me when I was normal, so what chance do you have now?" 

"I wasn't expecting your attack last time." He smiled, stopping a few feet from her.

"Why? Because we were at home, because we were Genins, or because you cared about me?"

"I loved you!" Kohaku screamed, knowing she was starting to fall apart. Trust Tansei to still be able to do that to her after all this time. "I wanted you to be happy, to know that it didn't matter who was better. I wanted you to love me."

"It must have traumatized you then, when I attacked you." He whistled a low note, and a tingle ran up her spine. Another pitch higher, and her legs buckled as he stepped closer. "However, I can make it up to you. Say you'll willingly allow Orochimaru-sama to experiment on you, and I can make every moment bliss. Refuse, and I will redefine pain." She tried to move, but her legs had gone numb, like she was paralyzed.

"How can you do this? Who taught you?" He crouched next to her, smiling. Whistling another slightly higher pitch, he watched the stone staff drop from her hands, and he kicked it away. _'I can't control my body. What's going on?'_

"What you're experiencing isn't a technique, or at least not a normal one. You see, there's a reason our village is called Hidden Sound. While most everyone there has their own techniques, those of us who didn't learned a few. I picked up various ones from different people and combined them into my own style. Sounds can to everything from trigger memories to shatter stone. Learn the right ones, and you can make people dance or die at your command. What I've done now is cancelled out part of your nervous system. When you first saw me, I was bringing back the memory of the pain I'd caused in your arms. You see, Kohaku, my new ability is unbeatable. My team is the one that gathers new test subjects for Orochimaru-sama. I immobolize them, Kuro sedates them, and Makoto makes sure they're the right target. But I am just as deadly by myself."

"Are you done bragging, Tansei? If you're so deadly, then just kill me."

"Are you sure you want to refuse my offer? I'd think on it a little. You wouldn't have to die, and your bloodline would be put to a much better use under Orochimaru-sama's command. And you'd be near me. Isn't that what you've wanted all this time? To find me, win me back, and grow old togther? I can't promise the growing old part, but you'd at least have my full attention most days, especially when you were being experimented on." She was silent for a moment as shestared up at him, eyes narowing as she dug her hands into the ground in anger. Tansei quirked an eyebrow and whistled a few notes. The strength left her arms, and Kohaku almost fell on her face in the dirt. Tansei placed his face next to hers, still smirking. "What's your decision, Kohaku-chan?" A moment later he felt a slice across his back, and spun around to see the otherclone with the regular staff in its hands. Movement on his right brought his attention back to Kohaku, who was sitting up, both hands still on the ground.

"Here's my answer: Ganseki gosunkugi! (Rock spike)" A shaft of rock pierced the ground behind the clone, and Kohaku quickly altered her chakra for another technique "Ganseki toku! (Rock shield)" As the explosion came, Kohaku knew that Tansei would survive even this, and she needed a new plan of attack.

* * *

"Senjo?" She was slightly roused, as if just waking up. A warmth had spread through her limbs, and she smiled slighlty as she snuggled further into the softness she was on. 

"Mmm?"

"Time to get up. Your team will be here any moment." Wait. Something wasn't right. Why was she warm? Had she been sleeping? And wasn't that her mother's voice?

"Mother?" Senjo opened her eyes to see Naiteki staring at her. "What's going on? Where am I?" She sat up quickly, realizing she was in her room. "Where are Kurai and Kohaku?"

"I would assume either at home or on a mission. Now get dressed before your teammates arrive," Naiteki answered, looking slightly puzzled. Teammates? Had she been picked for a squad mission and not told? How long had she been sleeping? She kept trying to remember what she'd been dreaming about, but it was all fuzzy. Obeying her mother, the redhead was brushing her hair when she heard a knock on the door.

"Mother, where's my vest?" she called, quickly scanning her room. She usually left it over her desk chair, but only her forehead protector was there.

"What vest?"

"My Chuunin vest." Like she ever wore any other vests? Seishin poked his head into the room, a smile on his face.

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, Senjo? You just became a Genin yesterday." He walked off, chuckling to himself.

"Became a Genin yesterday? Dad's in an odd mood today." Inkei had probably hidden the vest while she slept, and her parents were just playing along. She'd get it out of the little brat when he got home later.

"Senjo, don't make these boys wait all day!" Naiteki called from the kitchen.

"What is she talking about? If they didn't tell me about a mission..." Walking into the kitchen, she raised her hand to greet her fellow Sand nins, but stopped dead and lost the ability to breathe for a moment. Tansei was leaning against the wall, looking bored. And sitting at the table, grinning broadly, was Kuro.

"Finally ready, Senjo-chan?" he asked, standing up. She pulled back, eyes wide. What was going on? How was he back in the village? Why was Tansei with him? And why were they standing in her kitchen!

"What the hell are you doing here, bastard?"

"Senjo!" Naiteki admonished, poking her head into the room. "That is no way to speak to your teammate."

"Kurai and Kohaku are my teammates. Not these traitors!"

"If anyone could be labeled traitors, it's those two and their entire cursed family. Their father **did** try to kill the Kazekage, remember?" Tansei told her. "Makoto volunteered to be on Kurai's team to make sure he didn't try the same thing. Kohaku dropped out of the academy right after the failed assassination."

"Liar!" Nothing made sense. That wasn't the Kohaku she knew, and Hajino-san would never try to kill the Kazekage. After all, Gaara's father was already dead, so it didn't matter.

"Senjo-chan, what's gotten into you?" Kuro asked, concern in his voice. "Don't you remember any of this?" Her head began to throb as she met Kuro's eyes. Had she been dreaming? What had happened in Konoha's forest? It all seemed so fuzzy, so far away. They had been trying to find- Who again? One of the Genins from the Leaf village. Her team, and another had gone. Who's team? Of course, Gaara and his siblings! Where were they? She had to find them.

"Just one question: Where is Gaara?"

"The desert child? We got rid of that abomination years ago," Naiteki replied in disgust. Senjo nodded, then locked eyes with Kuro again as she concentrated her chakra and formed a single seal.

"Kai! (Dispel)" The kitchen image shattered, showing her the woods once more. Kuro staggered back, seemingly dazed. With the genjutsu broken, her true memories came back to her.

"You stubborn little bitch," he swore, shaking his head to clear it. "How the hell-"

"You can't alter reality that drastically and expect someone to believe it," she cut him off. "You and Tansi on my team, the Hajino clan as traitors, Kohaku not a ninja, and my mother calling Gaara an abomination? Bad-mouthing my friends will only piss me off."

"So I see. I might actually have a fight on my hands."

"When Kurai and Kohaku find us-"

"We already went over this, Senjo-chan. They aren't coming. Tansei and Makoto will subdue them and bring them to Orochimaru-sama. Then they'll be expereimented on for their bloodline until they die."

"Liar!" She was so angry she was shaking, but she also knew that this was what Kuro wanted. If he could distract her with words, he could force her into a position where he could attack again.

"There you go, using that word again. We're your own personal demons, and we were all excited to be able to face you three again. This time everyone will get broken in both body and spirit. No will to fight, no way to fight, and there's no problem. I think I might keep you out of harm's way though, Senjo-chan. Orochimaru-sama will find your ability most impressive, and you'll learn to respect him soon enough."

"Like hell I will!" She didn't care what happened, only that she wanted him to shut up. Drawing a kunai from her pouch, she charged forward... And right into his trap. The seals were already made as he caught her hand and wrenched the blade from it. His free hand brushed against her temple, and she felt his chakra brush against hers. This was what he had made her teach him years ago, and now he was going to use her teachings against her.

"Ninpou: Oboe souki (Memory Recall Technique)."

* * *

Kurai's duplicate laughed at the expression on his opponent's face. "I finally get to meet you -well, me- and all you can do is stand there and stare? Makoto, this fight is beneath me." That snapped the real Kurai back into a fighting mood. He charged forward, kunai up, and at the last moment went to his knees to try and get the clone in the leg. However, the duplicate blocked with its own blade and landed a punch to his chest. 

"Your usual tactics won't work, Kurai," Makoto sneered. "My love knows your every move, and he can counter it the moment you attempt something. Why don't you just give up?"

"Because he's a stubborn ass who always tries to figure out how to win a fight, even if he's outmatched," the duplicate replied.

"If you're the same as me, then you know that I **always** find a way to win." The clone smirked and shook his head.

"Not this time. Kaze no Yaiba! (Wind Blade)" Kurai was lashed with the chakra-laced wind, but he quickly countered:

"Fuuton: Chiri gufuu (Air Element: Dust Tornado)." As the two attacks covered the clearing in a thin haze of dirt, Kurai got into the trees. When everything cleared, all he saw was Makoto brushing herself off.

"You're only stalling, Kurai," she called out. "My love will find you, and then he'll defeat you with your own techniques." Could the clone actually do that? He wasn't even sure how it had been created, but everything had its limits. All he needed to do was find them. However, fighting himself was not something he had been trained for, and he would have to outthink this creation. Suddenly he saw movement to his left, and jumped out of the way a moment before shuriken embedded themselves on the branch he'd been on. Back on the ground, he faced Makoto alone again. "See?"

"All I see is flush tactics. How could he fight like me if he's never seen me?" She smiled and held up a small vial which contained a red liquid.

"With this. You remember when I drew blood from you before I left? It wasn't for a test, like I told you, but a memento for me. I needed a back-up in case my love ever died before I could extract the original blood." Raising an eyebrow, Kurai saw the duplicate land and stay to the side. He didn't seem all that interested in fighting him. What was going on?

"You see, Makoto created the first me before she left Sand village. It was a regular clone modified with our blood. But when she began studying under Orochimaru-sama, she found a much better way to create me."

"You think I care?" Kurai asked, turning to face the clone. "That she left me for a petty copy that she controlled? I got over her betrayal." A kunai at his throat made him curse silently. He'd turned his back on her, one thing he should've known not to do.

"I know you care, just like I know that Kuro and Tansei both care a little about Senjo and Kohaku. And deep down, I still care about you, Kurai. But I have my love now, and you're just going to get in the way. So when I hand you over to Orochimaru-sama, I'll never have to worry about you again."

"And what does he get out of the deal?"

"He gets to experiment on that wonderful bloodline of yours. Why do you think he came to your village in the first place? We told him what had been going on, and he made his own inquiries. He can't control Gaara, but now he can have the next best thing."

"I'd rather die." Whipping around, he felt the blade graze his neck, but he caught her wrist and pulled her off balance, watching her sprawl on the ground at his feet. The clone charged at him, but he dropped to one knee and quickly focused his chakra.

"Ganseki kabe! (Rock wall)" The clone skidded to a stop just in front of the wall, and Kurai grinned as he placed his hand against it. "Ganseki gosunkugi! (Rock spike)" He felt his chakra run through the rock in front of him, lengthening into spikes that jutted from the wall.

"Pull back!" he heard Makoto yell. Kurai held his breath for a moment, when a kunai suddenly materialized from the wall, embedding itself in his left shoulder. The duplicate followed, and the wall crumbled at his feet.

"Now that was interesting," it said, "Don't you understand that I'm you, therefore your attacks can't block me?"

"How?" Kurai demanded, holding his shoulder.

"My love has some of you and some of me," Makoto answered. "All I do is animate a corpse, feed it the blood, and shape its features. Orochimaru-sama showed me how, and Kabuto-san helped me perfect my control. After all, I am a fellow medical ninja."

"You use a forbidden technique to create this thing?" Kurai asked in disgust, pulling the blade out of his shoulder.

"Forbidden techniques are only called that because the elders are afraid of losing power to the younger shinobi. But the Sound village encourages their use, and we all benefit from the power."

"Power? You know nothing about power! Being handed techniques you don't understand and thinking you're better than everyone else is not our way. How did you ever start thinking like this, Makoto?"

"I've always thought like this, Kurai. For all that Tansei and Kuro are the voices, I am the brains. They never would've thought of going against the girls they care about without some encouragement from me." Silence followed her statement as Kurai tried to understand what he'd just heard.

"You will not walk out of here alive, Makoto," he promised. She began laughing, and then ran a hand through her hair. As she did so, lines began swirling up her arm and face, looping and twisting across her skin like demented worms. The clone too, was changing, taking on the same markings. They stood together, staring down at Kurai, still laughing.

"We'll see who can walk when we're done with you," the duplicate replied.

* * *

Tansei was waiting when Kohaku retracted the earth around her. Now along with his burned arm, half his face was scorched and his left leg was also damaged. "That hurt," he said, sounding annoyed. "I offer to give you your greatest wish, and that's how you respond?" 

"My wishes have changed, Tansei. Everyday when I look at my arms, it reaffirms the decisions I made. I stopped Kurai and Senjo from killing you, but not because I had feelings for you. I am not some lovestruck girl, at least not towards you." She stood up, noting her staff was only a few feet away.

"Found someone else, have you?" he asked in amusement. "Is he anything like me?"

"He has your determination and strength, but he doesn't rely on a cursed seal for power/"

"Sounds like a typical idiot from the village, just perfect for you. Too bad you'll never live to see him again." He suddenly felt a blade at his back, and turned to see Kohaku with her staff. She struck quickly, cutting into his side. Her duplicate puffed away when Tansei fell on it.

"It doesn't matter if I never go home, or if I see him again. I will kill you if it takes every bit of chakra that I have."

"Don't think that vest means you have an advantage over me," he coughed, spitting out blood. Kohaku nodded and slipped the vest off, taking up a fresh grip on her staff.

"Let's see who's better now."

* * *

Senjo blinked a few times, trying to get used to the darkness. As she tried to focus, the darkness became gray, and then the gray became lighter as Kuro walked into view. She knew where she was, and didn't like it. It was a type of genjutsu, but one that called up memories so they could be analyzed. It was what she had done with Naruto, but hers had not been as invasive. Their chakras had temporarily merged, and he had used that to implant this in her mind. It was real, but she could only watch until the memories were over. Trying to fight against them would sap too much of her strength. "What did you want to show me?" 

"This," Kuro replied, extending his hand as a scene flashed into view. It was Kohaku, two years ago, and she was with Tansei at the cliffs. A knot formed in the pit of Senjo's stomach as she shook her head.

_"Tansei-kun?" The boy stopped and turned his head and glared at her for a moment before going back to pummeling the wall in front of him. "What do you want, Kohaku?" She involuntarily flinched at the tone of his voice. He was beyond mad. _

_"I…I wanted to congratulate you." He stopped again and turned around, eyes narrowed and fixed in a hateful glare. _

_"For what? For losing to you and your brother?" Kohaku shook her head. _

_"No, for how well you and your team did. Naiteki-san said you guys were only two points away from tying us." He growled at her and turned away again. _

_"Whoopdee-do. We should have done better…I should have done better." Kohaku stepped towards him, placing her hand on his shoulder. _

_"I know you did your best." He grunted and shrugged her hand off. _

_"Obviously my best wasn't good enough if I lost to Kurai again." Kohaku sighed, resisting the urge to hug him. _

_"You know…you don't have to constantly try and beat Kurai at everything you both do." Tansei shot her another glare. She smiled at him, placing her hand back on his shoulder. "You're fine as you are. You're strong, fast, and smart, and you can come up with a plan of attack faster and far better than Kurai ever could. Why are you trying so hard to be like him?" Tansei sighed. _

_"You know that answer as well as I do. We live in a world of perfection, a world where second best doesn't account for anything. You have to be the best in order to get ahead, to get respect."_

_"But at what price? Being number one isn't all its cracked up to be." Tansei's expression softened slightly and he looked away from her. "You have to constantly watch what you say or do because people are always watching you, always criticizing you, and just always around and in your space. Sometimes it's better to be second best." He was silent for a moment before he looked at her again, his expression soft and almost understanding."Maybe you're right." Kohaku smiled and didn't hold herself back from hugging him this time. _

_"Let Kurai be number one. This way you can-"__  
_

_"What?" His tone suddenly became icy again as he pulled away from her. Kohaku blinked._

_"I said let Kurai be number one. This way you can con-" Tansei growled and shoved her violently away and into the rock wall. Kohaku doubled over, the impact knocking the wind out of her. The shock from the sudden shove made it harder for her to regain control of her breathing. Tansei growled grabbing her ponytail and yanking her to her feet. _

_"I knew it!" He punched her in the gut again before throwing her onto the ground behind him. Kohaku gasped and wheezed, curling into a fetal position. "You're on his side! You were always on his side! All you want is for me to give up so he can always be the best!" Kohaku shook her head, trying to muster up enough air to say something, anything. Tansei kicked her in the chest, causing Kohaku to roll onto her back. The crazed boy straddled her waist, his knees resting on her hands, keeping them down and keeping the brunette defenseless. "You and your bastard brother think you're so clever. But I'm not buying it. He is my enemy. Just like you are. You are my biggest enemy, Kohaku. I shouldn't have let myself get sidetracked by you and your petty attempts to knock me away from my goal." Kohaku shook her head, fighting back the tears threatening to spill._ Senjo was shaking as she kept staring at the scene. Kohaku had never really spoken of the attack, or what proceeded it. But now, she could see that Tansei had been unstable back then, so what was he like now?

"Why are you showing me this? I already know what happened."

"No Senjo, you only know the half of it."

"Why should I believe that this is the truth?" she shouted. "You could've twisted this too!"

"I took these memories from Tansei directly. Now be quiet, or you'll miss the best part."

_"No! I never wan-"Tansei backhanded her, blood trickled down from her split lip. _

_"Let me show you what I do to my enemies, Kohaku-chan." He smiled cruelly, reaching behind him and producing two kunais from his pouch. Before Kohaku could register what was going on, Tansei laughed and slammed the blades into her arms. Kohaku screamed as the blades dug deep into her skin, piercing the bones and embedding into the ground under her. "Aww, did that hurt, Kohaku-chan?" His voice was dripping with venom. The only response Kohaku could muster was another scream as he stood and pressed a foot down on one of the kunais, driving it deeper into her arm to the point where the handle was barely visible. Moments later he did the same to the other side. Kohaku screamed again, she felt all her years of training slipping away. She couldn't find the strength to move, to fight, to try and save her life. She was going to die. She was going to die at the hands of the boy she thought was her friend, the boy she loved. Tansei casually took a seat upon Kohaku's stomach, making sure he put his full weight down and chuckling when she began wheezing for air again. He casually stroked her exposed palms, tracing little patterns on it as if he was bored already. His fingers traveled up to her wrists, and a twisted grin formed on his face as he grabbed them. Before Kohaku could register what he was about to do, Tansei pulled back on her wrists, and the already stressed bones in her arms cracked and separated. He laughed at her strained scream and twisted her arms upwards, his grin getting wider as the bones began straining against the thin layer of skin on her arm. Another twist forced the bone through the skin. His hands moved again. Kohaku's arms were bent towards the sky and the bones cracked again, forcing their way through the already bloody and shredded skin. Multiple times he repeated these actions until her bones were reduced to nothing but shattered fragments. Standing again he made a point to stand on her arms, digging his heals into the broken limbs, laughing when he felt them crunch beneath his feet. Kohaku could barely scream. Her throat was dry, her head was spinning, her sight was blurred, her body was numb, and her heart was shattered. Tansei stood over her, looking down at her face. The grin turned into a sadistic smile and he leaned down, another kunai in his hand. He gently moved the hair from her face and tilted her head upwards. "It's been fun, Kohaku. But all good things come to an end, and I'm afraid this is your end." He held the kunai over her heart. Kohaku closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable stabbing pain to come. After a few moments passed, and there was no new pain, her eyes opened and widened in surprise. Senjo was over her, checking for any signs of life, Kurai was to her left on top of Tansei, laying into him with a volley of punches. She faintly heard her brother cursing loudly, vowing to kill the bastard. She watched as Senjo, who was satisfied that her friend was still alive, pulled one of her own kunai and ran over to the two boys, screaming her own curses and death threats. She had to find her voice and find it quick…_

_"STOP!" The redhead and her twin quickly stopped and turned their heads towards her. Kurai was holding the collar of their once friend and had a look of rage and murder in his eyes. "D-don't kill him!" _

_"You're kidding, right?" Kurai all but screamed at her as he stood, dragging Tansei to his feet. Kohaku watched as Senjo looked at her, then to the boys, and back and forth a few times before turning back to Tansei and raising her hand with the kunai. _

_"NO!" The redhead stopped again, and Kohaku could see her hand trembling, fighting with her want to kill him and the want to do as her friend wished. Kurai snarled and slammed the boy into the rocky wall. _

_"He's going to die, Kohaku! Whether you want him to or not, I'm going to kill him!" Kohaku shook her head, a fresh batch of tears streaming from her eyes. Senjo dropped her kunai and ran to her friend. _

_"Kohaku, look at what he did to you. How can you tell us not to kill him?" The battered girl didn't say anything, but looked into Senjo's eyes. Senjo understood more than anyone in the world would have. If anyone was going to kill him- It would be her. "Let him go, Kurai…"_

_"You're both insane! I'll do no such thing!" He raised his fist again to start another assault, but was stopped by the sudden cold steel at his neck. "Let him go, Kurai…"_

_"Back off, Senjo." _

_"Let him go!" She pressed the weapon harder against his throat. "If anyone kills him, it should be Kohaku." Kurai growled and glared into Tansei's eyes. The two rivals stared at each other for what seemed like forever before Kurai threw him to the ground. _

_"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave this village." Tansei stood and glared at the three. _

_"This isn't over."_

"You were ready to kill your teammate to spare Tansei? Why not just take revenge on him there?"

"I would never have killed Kurai. I only wanted to make my point. And Kohaku asked me not to. It's the same reason she didn't kill you: It was my revenge. Showing me this won't work, Kuro."

"How do you know what I'm trying to do? But you're right, I've had enough of this sob story." He waved his hand needlessly, and the scene disappeared. A moment later a new memory began, and Senjo saw Kurai standing outside his house. He was soon joined by Makoto. "These are her memories, from the day she broke Kurai."

"Kurai doesn't break!" Senjo screamed, fists at her side. She needed to find a way out of this.

"He will soon," Kuro whispered back.

* * *

Kurai recognized the similarity between Makoto's markings and those he'd seen on Sasuke. He didn't care what they meant, what they did, or what they truly were. He only knew that it made her and the duplicate more dangerous. Standing up, he took his hand off his shoulder and put the pain out of his mind. It would only distract him, and Kurai couldn't afford that right now. Getting into an attack stance, he held up one hand and motioned at the duplicate. "Come then, if you're not afraid." He received a smirk in return, and Makoto tossed it the vial of blood, which it drank quickly. 

"I fear no one." It charged, but Kurai was ready, pulling a kunai and deflecting the one he'd seen it draw. "Good reflexes." The blades clashed together again, but the duplicate was stronger, and pushed Kurai back, then slammed his hand to the ground. "Ganseki gosunkugi! (Rock spike)" Barely jumping out of the way, Kurai managed to avoid the first thrust of earth, but the second caught him in the right leg, tearing across his shin. Forming seals, he hoped his aim was true as he gathered the chakra in his lungs.

""Fuuton: Sakashima senpuu (Air Element: Reverse Whirlwind)." The clone uttered a cry of surprise as it was flattened to the ground, and Kurai landed and attacked again. "Kaze no Yaiba (Wind Blade)!" The duplicate anchored himself to the earth and pulled back as fast as it could, but not before its right arm was a mess of blood and muscle. Makoto quickly leapt down to help, but Kurai was there too quick, hand on the ground. "Ganseki kabe! (Rock wall)" A circular wall cut off the two boys from the Sound ninja, and she called out:

"My love, be careful!" But Kurai was back in his natural element, and he would not let a mere copy show him up. Picking up a rock, he noticed the clone do the same thing, and they both called their blades:

"Ishi no Yaiba (Stone Blade)." They met in the middle of the stone circle in a flurry of strikes and blocks, each trying to overpower the other. Managing a hit, Kurai went for his opponent's wounded arm, and the sword struck true, nearly severing the limb. But the duplicate smiled and dropped to one knee, letting the sword go and gripping his wounded arm. With a fierce cry and a spray of blood, he ripped the limb off and pressed it to the ground.

"Ganseki toku (Rock Shield)." The earth dome surrounded him, seeming to come from the severed arm as it liquified into blood and chakra.

"I don't think so," Kurai replied, striking the shield with his sword and concentrating. The sword began glowing with chakra, and it soon surrounded the dome. "During the training with my family, I learned to take control of their techniques by overwhelming their chakra and making their earth mine." He could sense the clone inside the shield, feel the parts that were him and the ones that were Makoto. "Now die!"

"No." The clone replied as the dome receded and he stood up and grabbed Kurai's blade. "You forget, whatever you do, I can as well." The sword crumbled, and they stood facing one another. "There is nothing you can think of that I can not make my own. I am the perfect replacement for you."

"As Gaara was for your family," Makoto said as she leapt over the wall. "Face it Kurai, you can't beat him, so what hope do you have of beating yourself?"

_'I need to think of something fast before I run out of chakra. At this rate I can't rely on any of my standard attacks, and that thing will just copy whatever I do. Unless... Unless I can make it use up the chakra it got from my blood. If it only has Makoto to rely on, I can win. But how do I-'_ And then he remembered Daichi's use of the sand armor, and his reaction to it. He had never wanted to use one of Gaara's techniques because he believed they were part of what made him an abomination. But what if that was the only way? Only Gaara had ever been stronger than Kurai, and he needed all the strength he could get.

"What's wrong, Kurai?" the clone asked. "Ready to give up." Turning with cold eyes and a smile that was dangerous, the Sand ninja shook his head.

"I will show you the power of the Hajino clan. I will show you **my** power." He charged, catching the clone's shirt and dropping to the ground, pulling the other boy over his head. The duplicate landed with a thud, and Kurai sunk quickly into the ground, and spikes began shooting up at random intervals.

"Stop him, my love!" Makoto ordered, seeking safety in the trees.

"With pleasure." Placing his one arm on the ground, the clone sent his chakra through it, hoping to route Kurai out. But something was wrong. He didn't sense his enemy like he should. There was no mass of chakra to mark his presence, only the tendrils. Suddenly a hand shot from the earth behind him, and then another. Kurai followed, placing both hands on the duplicate's back and shoving a stone dagger through it. Screaming, the clone felt his chakra waning, and turned with wide eyes to see it flowing up the dagger.

"As I can extend my chakra through rock, so too can I recall it, shaping the rock to my will. I'll take back what you stole from me." Removing the dagger and leaping away, Kurai stared at the clone as it stood, the markings on it pulsing.

"Makoto can still heal me through the seal," it said, smirking.

"Then I'll make sure there isn't enough left to heal." Driving the dagger into the ground, Kurai concentrated, recalling what he remembered of a technique he'd sworn never to use again. "Ganseki gokusha (Rock prison)!" The earth responded, wrapping around the duplicate so tightly that he could not move. Only his head was visible, and his eyes burned with hatred.

"This is-" it began.

"One of Gaara's techniques, yes. But modified by me for my own purpose. His sand might be controlled by Shukaku, but this is my earth, and it obeys only my commands when I wish it."

"Don't kill him!" Makoto cried, leaping in front of the cocoon of rock, arms outstretched.

"I will kill that thing, and then I will kill you," Kurai told her.

"Not before I break you," she replied icily.

"Nothing you do or say can break me, Makoto."

"Really? Don't you want to know what happened the night Senjo showed up all battered and bruised, claiming she and your sister had just sparred too heavily? Kuro attacked her that night, and robbed Senjo of her innocence. If he couldn't have her purely, then he wouldn't let anyone have her that way." Eyes wide, Kurai stopped in his tracks, shaking his head. "Isn't that a shame? That the girl you fight so hard to protect isn't as innocent as you thought? And guess who told Kuro that she deserved it? I did. I couldn't stand the way she looked at you, all hopeful and doting. She's a joke as a ninja, and the only reason she got as far as she did was because you and Kohaku were always holding her hands! She made me sick! But I took care of her." Anger was an understatement in Kurai's mind, and his fists clenched and unclenched. "So you fight for nothing! Kohaku will follow Tansei, and Senjo will soon be back in the possession of the boy who first owned her." He kept walking forward, not quite sure what was powering his legs. "So stop this useless fighting and come back to-" He backhanded her so hard she flew, blood flying from her mouth. Makoto landed on her face and stayed down, while the clone watched helplessly.

"Makoto!" Kurai was beside it the next moment, hand on the earth surrounding it.

"As I made this prison, so shall I unmake it. But it will take you with it." He forced the rock to constrict, and then it grew over the clone's head to stifle the screams. Smaller and smaller the mound became, until all that was left was a bloody puddle and a lump of earth. He needed to help both Senjo and Kohaku, but one more obstacle remained. Makoto was on her knees, staring at him. She was on her feet in an instant, charging at him with a scream. He caught her easily, wrapping one arm around her body and one around her head. "I told you I always win."

"But Kurai, we could make a great team. You saw what the clone could do! You don't need that idiot Senjo." Kurai brought his mouth to her ear, fighting to keep his voice in a whisper.

"I happen to love that idiot, Makoto."

"But what has she given you that I couldn't?"

"She loves me too." With a quick twist, Kurai snapped her neck, and Makoto fell at his feet, her hair falling into her eyes. "And that is enough for me." He collapsed to his knees for a moment, but shook his head and stood. "No time for this, I need to help Senjo and Kohaku." Using a little bit of chakra, he created a quick earth clone. Grass for hair, dirt clumps falling off, and rocks poking out of odd places, it would have to do. "Find Senjo and help her!" he ordered, taking off after Kohaku and praying he wasn't too late.

* * *

They stood facing one another, and Kohaku was wondering why Tansei didn't just attack her. The fact that he was wounded didn't seem to have stopped him before, but now he seemed unsure. Could he be second-guessing his ability to take her? Or was he just being cautious all of a sudden? "You never make the first move, do you?" he asked after a moment. 

"Not if I can help it. I like to study my opponent first."

"That's a very stupid thing to do. While you're looking for an opening, they could come in and take you out."

"So why don't you then?" It was a challenge, one she'd hope he'd take. She didn't like the way he kept talking to her like they were old friends, or the fact that he seemed to also be toying with her. She'd injured him twice now by catching him off-guard, yet it didn't seem to slow him down at all. Was his seal that powerful that it allowed him to shrug off damage that wasn't immediately life-threatening? Tansei raised an eyebrow, then pulled a kunai from his pouch.

"Very well," he said, then charged. She caught the blade with her staff, but he bore down on her, forcing her to her knees. "Not so easy to push back, am I? I thought you didn't want to fight me hand to hand?" He swept his foot out, catching her in the side, and she sucked in a breath. Then he smiled and pursed his lips, whistling one shrill note. The sound seemed to pierce her very core, and she screamed as pain raced along her arms, and they buckled. He crashed into her, rolling them across the ground and ending up sitting on her midsection. "Well, doesn't this bring back memories?" She struggled, trying to reach her staff, but he laughed and grabbed her arms, squeezing her wrists until she hissed in pain. "This would've been so much easier if you'd just agreed to come quietly."

"I told you before, I never admit defeat." He bent over her, forcing his weight down, and she found it was getting hard to breathe. The memory of where this had led before tried to come to the surface, but she fought it and him with everything she had, kicking her legs and trying to throw him off.

"Now this is just pathetic." A lower note sounded, and her entire body went numb, and she felt fear race up her spine. She had to find a way to stop him from making those sounds, or there was no way she would be able to do anything. "I'm going to enjoy torturing you this time, Kohaku. It's just a shame that Senjo and Kurai couldn't be here to see this." He pulled up her armguards, his fingers tracing the scar lines, and he smiled. "You screamed so beautifully back then, like I was breaking your very soul. No one I've hurt since has made such wonderful sounds."

"What?" she asked weakly, finding it interesting that her mouth still worked.

"Orochimaru-sama uses me to torture prisoners and those he no longer has a use for. I'm very good at it, and I have you to thank. You see, I love when people scream, and I keep trying to make them scream like you did when I gave you these scars. Only, they never seem to quite reach the right pitch or volume. It's a shame really, but then I sensed you in the woods, and I knew that I would be able to hear those screams again, like a music only I can appreciate."

"Break me, twist me, and kill me, Tansei. But I swear that I will never scream like that again." The kunai was back in his hand, and he traced one of the lines with it, drawing a thin stream of blood, but Kohaku felt nothing. "Looks like you need to let me move if you want to hear that music again."

"I guess so, but I don't need you trying to run away." He sounded one clear, high note, and she felt her upper body again. Her legs were still numb, but they were starting to tingle, and she hoped that time would simply restore the feeling to them. "Now then, let's try this again." He bent low, until their faces were inches apart, and whispered against her mouth: "Give me what I want, and maybe I'll let you live still."

"All you want me to do is scream?" she asked softly, eyes sliding to the right to avoid looking into his. "Like I did that day?" The smile on his face was genuine, warm, and completely insane.

"Yes. Just one scream, and then I'll let you up and we'll go to the Sound village. Give me what I want, and I'll still make sure you never suffer unless I'm the one causing it." Her eyes stayed looking to the right, and then they slowly slid back to lock with his. She was smiling, like she was happy as well.

"Very well." She took a deep breath, body tensing, eyes still on his. "NOW!" Tansei barely had time to think before something slammed into him, knocking him off Kohaku. He was up in a moment, and what he saw caused his eyes to widen. Kurai was standing over his sister, kunai out and his eyes full of hate.

"I told you back then that it wasn't over. Now I'll do what I should've done back then. You will not leave here alive, Tansei."

"I owe you for disturbing me that time too, Kurai," he replied, nodding. "Now we'll see who's truly better."

* * *

_"What did you want to talk about?" Kurai asked as he straightened his shirt. For some reason he always felt self-conscious around the blonde._

_"I heard about your sister nearly killing Senjo the other night. A shame really, considering how Kohaku goes easy on her."_

_"She's still my teammate," he replied, voice flat. This wasn't the first time she'd made fun of Senjo, and the recent habit was beginning to annoy him "Kohaku trains with her to improve our team. Maybe yours should try it for the next Chuunin exam."_

_"What makes you think we'll need to wait?" _

_"Because my team is going this time. For all your complaining about my sister and Senjo, at least they're useful on missions."_

_"We should have been together, and have Kuro with them." He smirked, shaking his head and laughing._

_"That would've been a disaster, and you know it. I would've had to beat Tansei on every mission because he more than likely wouldn't accept my leadership. As for Kuro, I'm sure Kohaku would've kicked his ass any time he even so much as looked at Senjo wrong. She's very protective of her."_

_"What makes you think he didn't touch her the other night? Kuro looks like he'd been jumped by a squad of shinobi."_

_"Maybe he started training with Tansei and it got out of hand. He's not stupid enough to antagonize my sister, or me."_

_"You? Why would you hurt him?" Again he smirked, leaning against the house and folding his arms across his chest._

_"Anyone who would hurt our chances of going to the Chuunin exam will have to answer to me. Kuro's not the brightest, but he knows when he's outmatched." Makoto smiled at this, and he wondered what she suddenly found so amusing._

_"Unlike you."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"There's another reason I asked to meet you tonight. See Kurai, I've found someone to replace you."_

_"Excuse me? What do you mean replace me?"_

_"Exactly what it sounds like. I've found someone else. Someone much better suited for me."_

"That bitch!" Senjo screamed, staring with her jaw slightly open. She couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. Makoto had never struck her as completely sincere, but didn't she love Kurai? Hadn't she promised-

_"Someone else? What nonsense are you spouting?" Kurai demanded. "If you're trying to make me jealous, Makoto, it won't work."_

_"I don't care if you're jealous or not, I'm simply telling you the truth." He looked angry and hurt at the same time, and her smile only widened. "Now don't feel too bad, Kurai. It was bound to happen, we both know it."_

_"No I didn't! So all that time you said you cared about me, all those times you hugged and kissed me, was all for nothing? What about the promise you made to me? To always be there for me no matter what?"_

_"You actually thought I was serious? We're not children any more, Kurai, regardless of how old we are. I said those words because I knew it's what you wanted to hear. I've always been good at telling people what they want to hear."_

"It's true," Kuro agreed. "Makoto has a silver tongue that no one's been able to match. Even Orochimaru-sama was impressed with how easily she can manipulate people."

"That's not what we're supposed to be about," Senjo shot back.

"Really? Sometimes ninja have to lie, and I've heard that it gets easier with every lie you tell. Come on Senjo, you can't stand there and expect me to believe that you always tell the truth? As the daughter of the village interrogator, I know you were taught how to find others' weaknesses and exploit them. And the best way to do that is to lie. Now be a good girl and watch the rest. I find this next part very entertaining."

_"Who is it, Makoto? Who made you break your promise to me? Tansei? Kuro? Someone else from class?" Kurai was barely holding back his anger, fists clenched tightly at his side._

_"Wouldn't you like to know?" she replied with a smirk. "Unfortunately, I don't want to spoil the surprise. You'll find out soon enough, Kurai."_

_"Damnit, you promised me!" He made to grab her shoulders, but she held a kunai out and made a stab towards him, which he dodged._

_"I made an alliance with you, nothing more. Now I've found a better alliance, and it's time to cut my losses. Does this really bother you? How good of a shinobi will you be if you can't part ways easily? Death is a much more permanent seperation." His eyes narrowed, and he turned away._

_"Get out of my sight!" he yelled._

_"Gladly." When she was around the corner though, she looked back at him, only to smile as he sank to his knees._

_"You promised me, Makoto. You promised me." He wiped his arm across his face, and came away with tearstains._

"Kurai-kun," Senjo whispered, her hands falling to her side. "You're crying. You're crying for her."

"Has he ever cried for you?" Kuro whispered in her ear. "Has he ever shown this much emotion towards you for any reason?" The memory faded away, and Senjo kept staring into the gray cloud around her, wanting so much to hold Kurai and tell him it would all be okay. Kuro waved his hand again, and this time her eyes widened as she saw herself walking towards the cliffs near the village. "I remember the night you cried. Do you remember it?"

"Stop it," she said, voice far too soft.

"All I wanted to do was talk, but you didn't want to listen. So, I had to make you listen."

"Stop it," she repeated, a little louder.

"I hadn't wanted to hurt you, but you were treating me so poorly, Senjo. I knew that I had to do something to make you see how much you were hurting me. And that's when I-"

"Stop it!" she screamed, hands over her ears.

"I'll make you listen this time," he continued, smiling.

* * *

The two boys eyed each other, and Kurai caught sight of Kohaku's vest lying a few feet away. "What did you do to her?" he demanded. 

"Aside from almost getting what I want, nothing," Tansei replied with a smirk. "She's a crafty ninja," he admitted after a moment, turning his head to show the burns. "So, what did you do to Makoto?"

"I killed her, which is what I'm going to do to you."

"Shouldn't you be off saving Senjo? Kuro's out there, you know. Wouldn't want him to get his kicks in before delivering her to Orochimaru-sama."

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Tansei?" Kurai asked with a smile. "That would be better for you, wouldn't it? After all, last time I kicked your ass when you hurt Kohaku. But if you leave now, I'll wait five minutes before running you down."

"I'm not the same weak child I was, Kurai. With this seal, I am nearly invincible. You've just been lucky enough to catch me off-guard both times."

"Really? Then why was my team chosen for the Chuunin exam? Why were my marks always higher than yours? Why was I the best ninjutsu and taijutsu user in the class? Catching you off-guard is one thing, but from where I stand, you will always be second-best." Tansei's hands curled into fists, and he narrowed his eyes as the smirk disappeared. "Face it, you need that seal to beat me, and even then it won't do you any good. I've already beaten Makoto and a clone of myself, so what do I have to fear from you?"

"Kurai, don't antagonize him," Kohaku warned, testing her limbs to see if they worked. She could raise herself on her arms, but the lower half of her body was still tingling and unresponsive. "He's got a new technique that-"

"That won't matter. You just rest for a while, Kohaku. I'll handle this." The smirk was back on Tansei's face a moment later, and he chuckled.

"You know, I'd listen to her. Kohaku's seen what I can do."

"Enough talk. Let's go!" Kurai charged, kunai out. But Tansei shrugged and whistled two notes. His charge halted, Kurai fell flat as his legs stiffened and refused to work. "What the hell?"

"My new technique," the Sound ninja said as he walked over and bent down. "I can make you do whatever I want."

"Like hell you can!" Standing up, Tansei whistled another note, and Kurai felt his shoulder begin to ache where the kunai had caught him. He fought back the pain as he tried to move, but a low note caused his arms to go dead, and the blade slipped from his grasp.

"As I told Kohaku, I can make you feel or not feel as I choose. Memories of past pain can be revisited, and I could even turn you two into puppets and make you destroy one another."

"Then why don't you?" His words like ice, Kurai glared up at the other boy, wanting nothing more that to drive a kunai through his heart.

"Because that would put me in a very bad situation. See, we were instructed to bring back one or two shinobi for experimentation. You are expendable, but we need the girls. After all, they have the techniques and the bloodline. And as an added bonus, they can breed with other ninja." Now Kurai fought the muscle-numbing power with everything he had. He heard a crack, and pain blossomed in his shoulder, but it was new pain. The patch of rock he'd used to make himself appear unhurt had broken, and blood began seeping into his shirt and vest again. "Well, it looks like you were hiding something. Still trying to act tough?"

"Who's acting?" He felt a tingling in his legs, but knew it wouldn't be enough. Letting go his concentration, he allowed the patch on his leg to crumble, and the pain helped him focus. A kunai was suddenly at his throat, and he looked to see Tansei over him, smile firmly in place.

"I can't have you ruining my fun again, Kurai. But don't worry, I'll take good care of Kohaku, and I'll even make sure than Kuro doesn't beat Senjo too badly. We can't have him damaging her ability to read minds for our village."

"I'm not done yet," Kurai whispered, feeling his arms begin twitching.

"Actually, you are. Looks like I win this time."

"Tansei, stop!" Kohaku yelled from her position on the ground.

"Why should I? Kurai was the only obstacle I needed to surpass, and I never could until now! I have to do this, Kohaku. You don't need your brother, do you? How much pain and misery has he brought you? Always wanting to be the best and challenge Gaara someday. And your family always gives him the recognition, don't they? How much attention to they pay you, or Daichi for that matter? You are nothing in their eyes when compared with Kurai. Let me eliminate him for you, and then all their worry and thoughts will be of you."

"Don't do this," she begged. "I never cared about any of that-" He turned to face her, moving the blade away from Kurai.

"You're a poor liar, Kohaku. I know it bothered you that your brother was always the one everyone had their hopes pinned on. Your family, our classmates, even some of the village. He's the heir to the Hajino bloodline, and you are just second- No, third best because of your younger brother. Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me you don't want him dead?" Kurai struggled, but Tansei clicked his tongue, and the paralysis became stronger. Kohaku took a deep breath, staring at her brother for a moment before shifting her eyes to Tansei's face. She still remembered the night he hurt her, the night he would've killed her if it hadn't been for her brother and best friend. How those two had helped her recover the mobility in her arms, and had pushed her to work harder than she had before the attack. They were a team, no matter what Kurai thought.

"If you touch him, you will beg me to kill you by the time I'm done breaking you." She narrowed her eyes, and her voice was the same icy tone that Kurai's had been. Neither boy had ever seen her like this, and Tansei recoiled a bit as he looked at her. But she was still immoblized by his earlier tehnique, and he would need to keep all his chakra focused on Kurai to keep the other boy down. It was a risky move, but he was the more dangerous of the two at this point.

"Say your goodbyes, Hajinos," he said, bringing the kunai against Kurai's throat once more. Movement from the corner of his eye made him turn, and Kohaku barrelled into him, trying to knock the blade from his hand.

"I said don't touch him!" she screamed as the kunai came up on instinct and lodged in her chest. They landed with her on top, face only inches from his as he watched her eyes widen.

"KOHAKU!" Kurai screamed, moving his shoulder and feeling the pain reawaken his deadened nerves.

"Time to break, Tansei," she whispered as he started to smile. But a moment later the smile turned to shock as she dissolved into fire, and he felt his mouth and throat burn as the clone seemed to pour itself into him as he tried not to scream. The real Kohaku was in front of him now, pulling Kurai to his feet and away from the flailing ninja. The flames seemed to stick to his skin, and he felt it blistering and cracking beneath the heat. When the fire was out, he stood and glared at them, and opened his mouth to say something. But no sound issued from his charred lips, and only blood seeped from the cracking skin. A silent scream issued from his damaged throat as he gingerly wrapped his hands around it.

"How did you get free?" Kurai asked, staring at his sister.

"He laces chakra into the air around him, which helps make the instant reaction to his whistling. All that talking he was doing had another purpose, but I just didn't realize it until you showed up. It is the sound that does most of the work, but he needs to concentrate on his chakra to maintain the effect. While he was busy with you, I was able to move and make my duplicates." The other clone came to stand by the twins, and it handed Kohaku her staff. "We attack him together, Kurai. Even deprived of sound, he's still powerful."

"Then let's finish this."

* * *

Senjo knew this was the final straw. Kuro was going to show her the night she had been the weakest, when she had almost lost one of her most precious possessions. She had to hold her emotions back, like Kurai did. If he managed to break her now, there was no way she could recover. 

_Senjo let out a small yell and whirled around, hand balled into a fist ready to swing. The person holding her arm let go and barely dodged the attack, holding their hands up in defense. "Hey! Calm down it's just me." Senjo sighed and shook her head. _

_"Damn it, Kuro. Don't sneak up on me like that!" She glared at him. _

_"Sorry, I called your name but you didn't answer." Senjo shrugged and turned back around continuing on her way. Kuro followed her like a lost puppy. "Senjo, can we please talk? I've had a lot of time to think since we became Genins and I really wish you'd hear me out." Senjo sighed, he sounded so pathetic. When she didn't say no or make any type of response, Kuro went on. "I know I was a jerk and treated you horribly, but you have to believe me when I say I've changed. I always thought you'd be around and I took it for granted and I always let my temper get the best of me and took everything out on you and I'm sorry." Senjo stopped walking only when they reached the spot Kohaku and she had agreed to meet at. She turned and looked at him.  
"You always said you were sorry. You always apologized, said it would never happen again, and not even ten seconds later, something would set you off and I became your punching bag." She could see the anger in his eyes, but she was sure with all of her training recently she could handle herself, and the fact that Kohaku should be arriving soon helped. _

_"Senjo please, just give me another chance to prove I've changed. I know I hurt you and I want to make it up to you. I love you, Senjo. I didn't realize it till I lost you, and these past months have been killing me without you." He took a step towards her, but Senjo held her ground, shaking her head._

"You didn't change at all!" she screamed as Kuro turned with a smirk on his face.

"Maybe if you hadn't kept insulting me everytime I saw you, it might not have ended the way it did. Makoto was right: You only care about yourself. Ever since you began hanging out with Kohaku, you changed."

"I got stronger, and she helped me! You liked me weak because it made it easier to kick me around."

_"You don't know what love is, Kuro. All you ever did was use me to get the things you wanted. I even betrayed my family by teaching you our technique. A technique, while not a bloodline limit, was only supposed to be taught to members of my mother's family. I put **everything** on the line for you and you thanked me by beating me on a daily basis because something didn't go your way."_

_"Senjo-chan." He reached out to touch her face but his hand was slapped away._

_"Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me again." Senjo bit back the tears of frustration that threatened to spring forth. There was no way she was going to let him see her cry every again. "I hate you, Kuro! I hate you more than the Hajino clan hates Gaara! You're nothing but a selfish, spoiled brat who wants nothing but control and power over every person or thing in his life." Kuro growled and glared at her, his hands balling into fists._

_"Senjo, it would be wise for you to listen to me and give me another chance." His voice was low and threatening. Senjo rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
_

_"And why is that? So I can go back to being your punching bag when things go wrong?" Kuro smirked and moved directly in front of her; barely an inch of space separated them. _

_"Because I know that things you did, I know the lies you told, the things you've stolen, the things you've done that could get you kicked out of the Village of Sand and disgrace your family." _

_"Resorting to black mail now, Kuro? Honestly, who do you think the village would believe? The daughter of the Village Interrogator or the heir to the Toshiro clan, a clan that has been disgraced more than once in its history and by the first born son no less." Senjo grinned to herself. She knew Kuro had nothing he could hold over her that anyone would believe. When he didn't respond the red head turned away from him, folding her arms over her chest. "Just leave, Kuro. I have nothing else to say to you." The silence that followed bothered her and sent a small chill up her spine._

"You never could just shut-up and listen to me, could you?" Kuro demanded as he grabbed her arm.

"Let go!" Senjo pulled away, terror in her eyes. If he tried to force himself on her, there would be no way to fight him off. He was stronger than her to begin with, and that seal only increased his strength. But he'd been constantly keeping her in a genjutsu, so his chakra must be getting low. Was that why he was showing her this? In the hope that if he broke her she would be no further trouble? She needed to remain calm, no matter what happened, and no matter what emotions tried to resurface. The memories couldn't be changed, but her attitude towards them could.

_Senjo turned just in time to see the fist coming towards her face. The impact sent her stumbling backwards. Before she could regain her balance, Kuro struck again knocking her to the ground. Senjo grunted as she hit the ground face first holding her stomach and curling into a ball, gasping for breath. Before she could recover, she saw Kuro's leg rearing back and his foot coming towards her. Senjo closed her eyes tight, grunting and yelping every time his foot connected with her body, knocking more and more wind from her. Senjo whimpered, clenching her teeth tightly together, fighting for the air that left her body. She wasn't sure how long ago Kuro had stopped kicking her. When she finally regained enough composure to turn her head to look at him he was standing over her, muttering to his self and pacing back and forth, growling and kicking at the sand. The frightened red head was sure he had finally lost it and knew she had to get away and find Kohaku. Gathering herself, she forced herself into a sitting position. _

_"Who told you to move!" Before Senjo could register what happened she was flat on her back with Kuro sitting on her waist, his hands gripping her hair and slamming her head repeatedly into the ground. Her vision became blurry and her head was throbbing. Kuro stopped his assault on her head and glared down at her before gripping her shirt. "I'm going to teach you a lesson that you should have never forgotten, Senjo." With a twisted smile he yanked his hand back, tearing her shirt from her body and tossing the tattered remains behind him. Senjo let out a small scream and quickly brought her hands up to cover her exposed chest. Kuro snarled and backhanded her, grabbing her left arm and twisting it until there was a satisfying pop and a cracking noise. Senjo let out another scream earning herself another slap to the face. With out thinking, she reached up with right arm and clawed at Kuro's face with her nails. He snarled again and punched her chest, once again knocking the wind and the fight from her. Senjo struggled weakly under Kuro who continued to punch her chest, stomach and face repeatedly. Growing tired of her resistance, Kuro finally grabbed her right wrist and forced her arm down, kneeling on her hand to keep the arm at her side. "It would do you good just to lay back and accept what's going to happen, Senjo." His hands were traveling down her body towards her shorts. Senjo whimpered again and closed her eyes tightly. Slowly, as if to humiliate her more, he worked down the zipper and popped off the button keeping them closed. "There's no one to help you this time."_

"Kohaku did come to help me though." Kuro was behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Senjo repressed a shiver, fighting to remain in control of her emotions. She had to break out of his world and help her team.

"But she's not coming now. Tansei said he was going to have fun torturing her. He does that now, you know. But he doesn't want information, like your mother. He wants to hear people scream like Kohaku did that day, but they never do."

"He's going to kill her?"

"No, he's going to make her suffer. And when we get back to the village, I'll be able to get my own kicks in, just like Makoto promised."

"What?"

"She's the real leader of our team. Tansei's too full of himself, and I don't care enough. Now that I have you back, everything's going to finally be all right."

"That's all you want? Me?" He brought his lips against her cheek and kissed her. This time the shiver that traveled up her spine was warm and tingly. It reminded her of spending time with Kurai... Or how she had felt about Kuro years ago.

"I only want you, Senjo. I need you, just like you need me. You're nothing without me."

"Maybe... I did always look up to you."

"Of course you did. You used to always want me around, until you started hanging out with Kohaku. And where has that gotten you?"

"Back with you," she sighed, leaning into him. He seemed startled, but she placed her hands over his and smiled. "So you never stopped thinking about me? You must've been so lonely."

"I was. But that's over now." He closed his eyes, and the memory disappeared. She could feel his chakra fading, and knew he was through with the illusions.

"So when we go home, will I get to meet Orochimaru?"

"Not right away, but eventually you will. He'll like you, Senjo. Your abilities will come in very handy. Even with what you taught me, you were always better at the mind-reading and genjutsu." A feeling of pride settled on Senjo, and she smiled brighter.

"Really? That's sweet of you to say, Kuro-kun."

"You haven't called me that in a while." She turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck as his circled her waist.

"I know, and I'm sorry I said all those horrible things to you back then. But I want to make it up to you." She stood on her toes and kissed him. Kuro's eyes widened for a moment, but then he relaxed and lost himself to the kiss, holding her tighter. When they broke apart, his eyes were closed, and Senjo was smiling. "You know Kuro, there's something I always wanted to do with you," she whispered in his ear.

"What's that?" he asked, sighing happily.

"THIS!" Her knee connected with his groin faster than he could react, and the air left his lungs as pain blossomed between his legs. His arms dropped as he tried to cover the small area, and Senjo stepped back, fists up. "I've wanted to pay you back for everything you ever put me through." Her right hand connected with his chest, and he toppled over. "You always treated me like I was worthless!" Her left leg hit his gut, and the air he'd just gotten back once more escaped. "Nothing I ever did for you or showed you was good enough!" Right leg now kicked his side, rolling him onto his back. "I gave you almost everything I had, and then you tried to take me by force!" She hauled him to his feet, backhanding him once he was up. "I hated you then, and I hate you still!" A viscious left hook dropped him to the ground again, and she kicked him repeatedly. "Don't ever touch me again!"

"Senjo-chan-" he tried to say through his split lip, but she punched him in the face again, and then continued to hit his face and chest.

"Never again will you hurt me. Never again will I have to worry about you coming back." He stared up at her, eyes wide. The seal pulsed oddly beneath the already-forming bruises, but Senjo payed it little mind as she formed seals and grinned. "My name is Tanamari Senjo, Chuunin of the Hidden Village of Sand. Toshiro Kuro, you were declared a missing-nin, and it is my duty to ensure that any secrets you carry are not revealed any further. Now prepare for my world: One you will not escape. Ninpou: Seiryoku akuma (Forced Nightmare Technique)." Her hands were on his temples, eyes on fire, and then Kuro fell into darkness.

* * *

Kurai felt strength returning to his limbs as he looked from Tansei to his sister. She was glaring at the Sound ninja, staff ready and eyes narrowed. The clone was in a fighting stance, but Kohaku motioned at the trees and the copy obeyed. "If we fail, she'll finish Tansei off." 

"Kohaku, look at him," he started to argue, motioning towards their burned opponent. "He's-"

"Still a threat. I only took his advantage, so we're all even now. We're hurt, he's hurt, and everyone's running low on chakra. We get one shot at this, Kurai. Follow my commands, and don't waste any chakra trying to outdo me or attempting something flashy. Pride has no place in a mission."

"I'm beginning to see that." Tansei had frozen in place after the fire attack, eyes shifting quickly between the twins. His sure-kill technique was unusable, and he had two mobile enemies to deal with. Now his only hope was to find Kuro and pray that he'd managed to take Senjo prisoner. Rasping out a quick breath, he bolted for the woods.

"Stop him!" Kohaku yelled as Kurai charged forward and caught Tansei's legs, bringing both of them crashing to the ground. Kicking hard, the Sound ninja caught his opponent in the jaw, but felt a tap on his head. Kohaku was above him, one of the staff's blades pointed right at him. "I don't think so." But he rolled suddenly, spinning out of Kurai's grip and away from the weapon. Getting to his feet, Tansei knew he had to either make a stand against them, or try to injure one of them badly enough to even the odds. Kurai was getting to his feet, blood running down his left arm and right leg from the injuries he'd tried to hide. Kohaku was tired and bruised, but she was mostly intact. Kurai would have to be his target, and he needed to make every strike count. But the moment he shifted his balance to move, Kohaku saw it and stood in front of Kurai, staff up.

"What are you-" he began to ask.

"We need to hide for a bit. Can you handle a dust storm?" He nodded, and Kohaku stepped to his side as he formed the seals and took a deep breath, hooking his arm with her staff. "Now!"

"Fuuton: Chiri gufuu (Air Element: Dust Tornado)." The wind swirled around them, choking the air with dirt and dust. Tansei began coughing, and he lost sight of the twins amid the debris. He thought he heard something through the wind, and the ground shook slightly. Suddenly the wind stopped, and the dust quickly disipated. Kurai and Kohaku were now only five feet away, but they were standing by a wall of rock. With a slight gasp, Tansei saw that the rock wall extended around to a foot or so behind him, and the sky was almost blocked where it created a domed ceiling. He was trapped, but Kurai swayed on his feet momentarily, and Kohaku didn't seem to notice. More than likely her brother was going to pass out before her plan could be put into action, but he got into a defensive stance all the same.

"One shot. One chance to make this right," Kohaku whispered as she whistled a shrill note. Tansei cringed as his eardrum vibrated painfully, and then he saw the clone jump through the narrow opening over his head and land next to her orignal. "Kurai, hold him in place!"

"No problem," he said, taking another deep breath and forming the succession of seals. Tansei recognized the attack too late and knew he would never dodge it. "Fuuton: Sakashima senpuu (Air Element: Reverse Whirlwind)!" As he was bent to the ground by the pressure, Tansei saw Kohaku form seals of her own, and this attack he knew as well.

"Katon: Bouseki hoi-ru no jutsu! (Fire Element: Spinning Wheel Attack)" The flame wheel spun towards him, and then met with the whirlwind. Flames exploded around him, and he was at the center of the inferno. He saw Kohaku through the blaze, eyes centered on him. "Let me hear you scream!" she shouted as the clone jumped into the fire and wrapped itself around him before exploding. A scream like a choked animal issued from his throat, and then he was alone as the walls began closing in on him. Burning alive, barely able to see or feel anything but pain, Tansei continued to scream. Outside, Kohaku and Kurai were shrinking the rock dome, and both could feel the intense heat that was only a foot away inside the rock. Finally they had reduced the dome to an egg shape about four feet high, and Kurai took his hand off and slumped against it. Kohaku continued to stare at the prison they'd made for a few minutes.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't hear him anymore," she said after a moment of silence. "He was screaming for a little while, but now he isn't."

"He's dead, Kohaku." She looked over at him, frowning slightly.

"I know. He was right, though. The screams of your worst enemy make the most beautiful music." Kurai's eyes widened as he stared at her, trying to find something in her face that told him she was kidding. But Kohaku's face remained blank as she ran her hand down the surface of the prison. "Senjo's still out there." He was on his feet a moment later, but then the fatigue and pain seemed to hit him all at once, and Kurai toppled to the ground and passed out. Kohaku was by his side a moment later, flipping him over and staunching the flow of blood as best she could. "Senjo will be fine. She's a ninja of the Sand, just like us."

* * *

Kankuro was following the med-nins from Konoha back to the village when he spotted Senjo and someone else in a clearing. "That's one from our other team!" he called out. "She's got someone with her." Dropping down, he and one of the Konoha ninjas stopped while the other kept going with Kiba and his dog. "Senjo!" he called, allowing Karasu to follow him. 

"Kankuro!" she answered, running over. The other person was on the ground, curled on his side, unmoving.

"What happened?" She glanced back at the other person, then shrugged.

"I ran into one of our missing-nins. I'm not hurt, but I could use some help getting him back to Konoha before we transport him home." The med-nin nodded and bent to examine the other ninja.

"He seems to be heavily bruised, and is unresponsive."

"I expected that," Senjo said with a sigh. "We'll have to carry him."

"I can put him in Kuroari. That is, if he doesn't mind a little blood and a body as company," Kankuro said with a wicked grin. The puppet landed next to him, and Senjo took note of the bloodstains on the outside of it. She was betting the body inside was little more than a lump of flesh with a head.

"Where his mind is right now, he wouldn't notice if we turned him into one of your puppets," she replied with a matching grin.

"That an offer?" A moment later Kankuro's eyes widened as he saw who the missing-nin was. "Kuro? What was he doing here?"

"Under orders from Orochimaru, as was the rest of his team. More than likely we'll find them with Kurai and Kohaku." Loading Kuro into the interior of the larger puppet wasn't easy, but at least he didn't move at all. Senjo held back, not wanting to touch him or see what the condition the other body was in.

"So I take it you didn't find the Uchiha boy?" the puppet master asked.

"No. Kuro distracted me longer than I intended. How about you?"

"Took care of someone who was after one of the Leaf Genins. No big deal for Karasu and Kuroari."

"I guess not. Maybe the others have had better luck."

"We'll see them in Konoha, I'm sure."

"I'm sure." Just then, a rustling in the bushes drew their attention, and the med-nin drew a kunai. Kankuro moved Karasu into a defensive position, but Senjo stood and held her hand out to halt them. She recognized the chakra pattern, but wanted to double-check herself. When a dirt-clone walked into the clearing, falling apart as it went, she walked to it. It was crude version of Kurai, but it had his chakra in it, and she nodded. "I'm okay," she told it. It nodded, turned, and dissolved into a pile of debris. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she ran and scooped up a pile of dirt. Where there had been chakra a moment ago, now there was nothing.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Kankuro asked.

"I… I don't know. Kurai must've made that clone in a hurry."

"We'd better get back to the village," the med-nin told them, jumping back into the trees.

"Let's go, Senjo."

"I'm coming. I'll be right behind you." Looking back at the dirt pile, Senjo felt a chill race up her spine. "You better be all right, Kurai."


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Notes: I ended up adding a bit to the end of chapter 11, after realizing I missed something. Also, this chapter tends to jump slightly, and I might add another section to it later on, but for now it's complete. Two more chapters, and then this story will be done.

Chapter 12

Senjo was pacing frantically in the waiting room she and Kankuro had been shown to. They had seen Temari briefly through the crowd of med-nins, but she had followed a Leaf Chuunin into another room. The whereabouts and condition of the others was still unknown. "I can't stand this waiting," the redhead repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Will you sit down?" the puppeteer said, looking up from one of Karasu's arms. He was trying to fix the elbow joint, but his concentration kept breaking.

"Aren't you worried about your brother?"

"Gaara can handle himself," he replied with a derisive laugh. "Besides, if my opponent was easy, I doubt the Sound had anyone formidable on their team. You didn't seem any worse after dealing with Kuro. Now let me work in peace!"

"Do it outside," Gaara told him as he walked into the room. "No one is in the gardens out back."

"What, you want some alone time with your new girlfriend?" Senjo blushed, but Gaara glared at him, and Kankuro knew he could at least tease the female redhead later. "Sure, sure, I'm going," he added in an amused tone. He and Karasu walked out, the puppet closing the door behind it. Senjo ceased her pacing and looked at the younger boy, who had his arms folded and was leaning against the wall. He seemed to be staring out the small window in the room, like he had something on his mind.

"So, was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"No. I just didn't want to deal with any of Kankuro's comments."

"Oh." There was silence as she kicked at the floor like she'd found a rock. "We saw Temari earlier, if you were wondering. She seemed okay."

"So only the Hajinos have failed to arrive. Was a team sent to look for them?"

"I let one of the med-nins who brought me here know, but they were busy with a few emergencies. It seems the Genin squad they sent out came back with some serious injuries. And… And they still haven't found Naruto." Gaara looked at her, then sighed.

"He'll come back," he said, pushing away from the wall.

"How do you know?"

"He hasn't become Hokage yet. Naruto won't die until he does." Senjo nodded and sighed as well. "The Hajinos will also be back."

"Because Kurai hasn't beaten you yet?" Gaara paused at the door to the room, turning back with a smirk.

"Yes."

* * *

Konoha Hospital was in a frenzy of activity when Kohaku and Kurai arrived. Taking her brother into the treatment room, the med-nins shouted orders to one another as they shut the door. She had been checked over in the forest, and with no injuries aside from bruises and scrapes, Kohaku had been deemed unimportant as far as treatment. "You can wait out here or in the gardens out back," a nurse said as she came out of the room. "When your teammate is given a room, someone will find you."

"Thank you," the Sand ninja replied, bowing slightly. She wanted to get outside as fast as possible, away from all the doctors, away from the smells and sights, and away from everything that reminded her of when she had been forced to stay in the hospital. She hated them, hated the fact that her brother was now injured enough to require treatment, and that Senjo was still out there. Tansei and Makoto were bad enough, but Kuro? Kohaku knew she could handle herself against the egotistical jackass, but her friend… No, she couldn't think like that. She had told Kurai that Senjo would be all right, and she needed to start convincing herself of that too. And what of the other team? Had they run into any intense opposition in their search for the Leaf Genins? The questions swirled through Kohaku's brain faster and faster until she was running just to try and clear her head. Dashing through the halls, not paying attention to anything, she nearly collided with a blonde girl, and skidded to a stop. "Temari?"

"Kohaku?"

"Are you all right? What are you doing here? Where's Senjo? Are Kankuro and Gaara okay?" Everything seemed to come out in a jumble, and the brunette paused to catch her breath. Temari's eyebrow quirked, and she frowned slightly.

"I'm fine, and I saw Senjo with Kankuro maybe an hour ago. I came in with the Chuunin who was leading the mission to find Sasuke." She paused, looking away for a moment. "And since when do you care about Gaara and if he's hurt?" The question caught Kohaku slightly off-guard, and she swallowed a lump in her throat. She normally didn't care about the desert child, so why had she asked about his condition? The fight must've taken a bit out of her if she couldn't figure out a rational explanation.

"I- I just wanted to make sure we didn't have any other injuries from the mission. Having Kurai injured was worse enough."

"I agree. So where were you going?"

"Nowhere, actually. Where were you headed?"

"Shikamaru, the Chuunin, asked me to find out the condition of one of his team. You can come with me if you want."

"Since when do you take orders?" Kohaku teased as they began walking down the halls. She was feeling a little better, and talking to the older girl was helping get her emotions under control. Passing med-nins, nurses, and doctors, the two Sand ninjas found themselves approaching a door with a red light over the top. An emergency treatment room, if Kohaku remembered correctly. As they got closer, both girls could feel an incredible amount of chakra behind the door, pressing against their chests like a weight. The hair on the back of their necks was standing on end, and Kohaku repressed a shiver. She wasn't trained in the medical arts, but she knew enough to realize that someone had been injured severely for this amount of chakra to be used. Not wanting to go in, they waited for a little while before a med-nin walked out of the door, closing it quickly and slumping to the floor. It took him a few minutes before realizing they were there.

"What do you need?" he asked, voice strained. He was very low on chakra, but still sounded annoyed and defensive.

"Nara Shikamaru asked me to check on the condition of Hyuuga Neji," Temari said. Kohaku's heart leapt into her throat before falling into the pit of her stomach. Neji was behind that door? What had happened that he'd been injured that horribly?

"Tell Shikamaru that Shizune-san is doing everything she can, but it's still too early to tell what will happen." The blonde nodded and turned around.

"Thank you." Kohaku followed, her mind now racing with new questions: What had happened to Neji? Would he be all right? Was he the only one to suffer such injuries? Had the Sound sent elite troops out to find Sasuke, or had their regular shinobi been enough to deal with Genins? Had they ambushed Sasuke and dragged him away, or was the team just assembled as an after-thought to find him? How many people had Orochimaru dispatched to bring the Sharingan to him? Had Tansei's team been the only one? Had he been the one to injure Neji? She turned and slammed her fist into the wall, startling Temari and a doctor who was walking past.

"Damnit, why did this have to happen?" she yelled to no one in particular.

"Kohaku, what's gotten into you?" Temari demanded, watching as the girl shook her fist to loosen it up. A dent was in the wall, and it was a surprise that Kohaku hadn't broken anything, her hand included. It wasn't like her to get emotional after a mission. Had something happened in the forest?

"I can't stand all this backstabbing and vengeance-talk. We are ninjas, not politicians! We fight for our villages, our teammates, and ourselves. Lately though, I can't even tell who my allies are supposed to be."

"They are who you trust with your life," the blonde said calmly. "Whether they're from the same village or not, allies are whoever you know will watch your back and come to your aid."

"Even if you trust them, sometimes people turn on you."

"Tansei was deranged, Kohaku. You could not have anticipated that. No one could have." She knew the history between the missing-nin and the younger girl, if only because it had been the talk of the village for a week or so after the attack.

"That's what I mean. I trusted him, and he turned on me. He joined forces with Orochimaru. They all did."

"You fought him? Is that what happened?" The shock was in her voice, and her eyes were wide as Kohaku nodded. "Is he-"

"He's dead. I made sure of it. He wasn't going to get away again. Not after what he did." Her voice was even, the emotions starting to slip away. What did it matter what she felt? During a fight she didn't need them, and there was no real reason to have them afterward. Senjo had them, and she knew Kurai only tried to bury his. Temari too, seemed to have someone to show her emotions too, and Kohaku smiled dryly.

"What's so funny?"

"So who's this Shikamaru that you're doing favors for him? I've never known you to follow someone else's orders unless you wanted to." Temari blushed for a moment, and they began walking again.

"He intrigues me. During the Chuunin exam, he had me beat, yet he surrendered to me. For all that he's pessimistic, lazy, and a little egotistical, he amuses me. Isn't there someone who intrigues you?" She received a blush in response, and Kohaku bit her lip and turned her head away.

"Maybe."

"The Hyuuga boy?"

"What makes you say that?" Temari grinned broadly, turning down another hallway. She needed to get back to Shikamaru and let him know what was happening.

"You only get emotional when you're trying to hide your feelings. You should talk to him once he's out of treatment."

"What makes you think he'll pull through?" The blonde winked and walked off.

"He's stubborn, just like a few Sand shinobi I know. I'll see you later, Kohaku."

"Sure Temari." When she was alone, Kohaku punched the wall again, though not as hard this time. Her arm began aching, and she knew the muscles were still tired from her overuse of them earlier. So she rested her head against the wall, arms up on either side, and stared at the floor.

* * *

The pain seemed to flash into existence the moment he was conscious, but Kurai grit his teeth and refused to scream. Gradually it subsided until only his shoulder, leg, and head were throbbing. "Kurai-kun?" a soft voice asked as he opened his eyes. It was bright, white, and he felt slightly cushioned. Where was he? Certainly not outside anymore, and that voice didn't belong to Kohaku. When his vision came into focus, he realized he was in a hospital room, and Senjo was sitting next to him.

"You're okay!" he yelled, sitting up and seeing the world spin. When she gently pushed him back down, he asked: "Where's Kohaku?"

"Last I heard, she was looking for me. Temari said she'd let her know I was okay, so she should be back soon. You seemed to have the worst injuries." Senjo paused, and her eyes darkened. "So where is that bitch?"

"Dead by my own hand. She was too dangerous to be allowed to live."

"And Tansei?"

"He's only so much ash in the forest." When she nodded, he licked his dry lips and took her hand. "And Kuro?"

"He's no longer a threat." Kurai couldn't keep the surprise off his face, and he chuckled softly.

"I didn't think you'd be able to kill him."

"I didn't." She saw the smile vanish, the eyes narrow, and knew a scathing comment wasn't too far off. "I broke him, all right? I used my nightmare technique and showed Kuro something so horrible that his mind snapped. He can't speak, reason, fight, or use any techniques. I beat him my own way."

"You should have killed him, because that's what I'm going to do when I see him." He shifted, wincing as a sharp pain sliced through his shoulder, and reached up to feel bandages wrapped around the wound.

"I took my revenge, Kurai-kun. Let it go."

"I can't!" he shouted, trying to sit up again. "He hurt you. That night we took you to the hospital, it wasn't because of a training gone wrong. Kuro attacked you, hurt you, humiliated you-"

"How do you know what happened that night?" Senjo demanded with wide eyes. "Only Kohaku knew, and she-"

"Makoto told me," he interrupted, voice softer than she ever thought it could be. "She was the one who put the idea in Kuro's head. He and Tansei were twisted by her words, and that's why he- That's why he forced himself on you." His eyes held such emotion that Senjo only wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything would be okay. Instead, she stroked his hair with her free hand and squeezed the hand she was already holding.

"He tried, but Kohaku stopped him. I've never seen her so angry, so ruthless. It reminded me of your father a little. She wanted to kill Kuro, but I think she knew it was up to me to finish things. That's why I didn't want you killing Tansei that night. Just as you would've been mad if someone got to Makoto first, it was Kohaku who needed to face her own past."

"She seemed different when we faced him," he mused. "Her eyes were like-"

"Yours?" Kurai shook his head slowly, sinking back onto the pillow. He was tired, which meant he'd probably used too much chakra in the fights.

"I don't know what Tansei said to her before I got there, but she took charge of everything. During the fight she didn't let up on him, but she was so calm about it, like it was a training session. And after he was dead, she kept staring at the rock cocoon we'd trapped him in. Then she said something about the screams of your worst enemy making the most beautiful music."

"Music?" Senjo was confused, and a bit unnerved. She'd originally been thinking that Kohaku was just showing her brother how much she'd grown since the whole thing started, but now… Had Tansei tried to break her, and succeeded on some level? Kurai's eyes fluttered closed, and she ran her hand lightly down his face. "When we get home, the nightmare will be over, and then we can all get on with our lives."

* * *

Kohaku caught sight of a lone, pink-haired figure sitting in the hallway as she tried to find Kurai's room. "Sakura?" she called out, trying to be as quiet as she could.

"Kohaku?" came the reply as she lifted her head. "Did your village send your team too? I'd heard that Gaara and the others were here, but I didn't know you were."

"We were sent, but we weren't much help," the older girl said dryly as she walked over and sat next to her.

"Was your team hurt at all?"

"Just Kurai, although I was worried about Senjo before Temari said she was all right. You remember that boy I told you about when we first met?"

"Tansei?" Sakura's eyes widened, and she was silent for a moment. "You saw him? He came back? What happened?"

"He and his team ended up joining the Sound village. They had come under orders to further guide Sasuke to their home." Now she was silent, staring down at her arms for a minute. "We took care of them."

"That's good. I'm still waiting for Naruto to come back with…" Her shoulders slumped, and her head dropped down again. "With Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura… I'm sorry."

"You were right, Kohaku." the girl continued softly. "That Sasuke would hurt me. But I wish he'd fought me and left me broken. I wish he would've had to resort to violence before I left him alone. I wish that he would've been forced to kill me. Anything would have been better than what really happened!" Tears fell from her eyes as her hands clenched on her knees. "I told him I loved him. That if he stayed, I'd make sure he was happy. I would've done anything to see him smile. And then I said that if he couldn't stay, to take me with him."

"Take you with him where? We were told the Sound kidnapped him."

"No," Sakura said as the tears fell faster. "Sasuke-kun - He went with them willingly! He thinks Orochimaru will give him the power to kill his brother." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and frowned. "Ninja aren't supposed to cry. It's one of our first lessons. You must think-"

"That we're still very much alike," Kohaku interrupted, smiling slightly. "I cried after my attack. For the pain, the humiliation, for letting my team down, and for the boy I had loved. We're ninja, but we're human too." They sat in silence, hearing nurses and doctors rushing by down the main halls.

"Kohaku, do you think Sasuke-kun will change under Orochimaru? You know, if he gets there before Naruto can stop him. I know he promised me he'd bring him back, but I'm just-"

"Just preparing for the worst?" When she nodded, Kohaku sighed. "Do you want the truth?" Another nod. "He won't be the same when you next see him, but he's not exactly the same as Orochimaru. Sasuke wants one thing, and he'll do whatever it takes to get it. He's determined, but not insane." Suddenly a Leaf Chuunin skidded around the corner, and Sakura stood up as he ran over.

"Iruka-sensei, what's wrong?"

"They just brought Naruto in!" he said, trying to catch his breath.

"Naruto…" Sakura felt a soft push, and realized Kohaku had a hand on her back.

"Go be with your teammate," the Sand girl told her as Sakura nodded and followed her former teacher.

"You do not know the depth of Uchiha Sasuke's determination," a voice said from a few feet behind her.

"And you do, Gaara?" the redhead stepped closer as she turned around. He had his arms folded across his chest and a blank look on his face as he leaned against the wall. Seeing him was a bit of a surprise, but so was her reaction to the situation. Instead of feeling repulsed or angry at him, she felt… Nothing.

"I fought him-"

"So have I."

"Then you know how alike we are."

"Just as you and Uzumaki Naruto are alike?" She asked, a smile on her face before she could stop it.

"I see Senjo has been trying to change your opinion of me." While the words were true, part of this had nothing to do with her teammate. With her father and Kurai away, it had been a time for her to figure out where she stood with everything. Daichi's words the day Kurai had scarred him still came back to her every so often, and she had started to think that her little brother had been right about a great many things. Between that, the Kazekage, Temari, and Senjo's increasingly good view of him, should she still hate him? Well, the truth was probably a good place to start.

"Truthfully Gaara, I never had an opinion of you. I followed my clan's way of thinking without ever wondering if there was another side of the story." Kohaku paused a moment, not quite sure how to say what was on her mind. "But if Daichi looks up to you, Senjo thinks of you as a possible friend, and Temari says you've changed, then I'm willing to say you can't be all bad." Gaara quirked an eyebrow, one hand coming up to brush against the symbol on his forehead. He seemed like he didn't quite believe her, and Kohaku knew she wouldn't believe herself if the situation were reversed. Too many years spent having people fear and hate him, her family especially. She couldn't promise miracles, but at least for everyone she cared about, she'd give it a try.

"Time will tell if your words are true. Now as you told that girl, shouldn't you be with your teammates?"

"If only to make sure that Kurai's done being an ass." They went their separate ways, and the hall was silent once more.

* * *

Kohaku walked into Kurai's room and sighed in relief when she saw Senjo. "I knew you'd be okay," she said as they both looked over.

"Kohaku-chan!" the redhead yelled as she ran to her teammate and hugged her. But when the brunette didn't return the gesture, Senjo looked at her and pulled away.

"Did he hurt you?" Kohaku asked, her voice low as she placed her hands on Senjo's shoulders, and made eye contact with her.

"He tried," Senjo hesitantly replied with a shake of her head. "But I got even."

"Good." Her eyes shifted to Kurai, and she was glad to see he had no apparent debilitating injuries. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"Distracting Tansei long enough for me to figure out a plan. I wouldn't have been able to beat his technique on my own."

"So I noticed. That's two you owe me." There was silence for a few moments, and then came a knock on the door. Senjo opened it, and Kankuro walked in.

"We were going to brief each other on what happened. If you want to come, follow me to the room."

"I'll pass," Kurai replied, "Used up too much chakra."

"We'll we be right behind you," Kohaku told him as Kankuro shrugged and walked out.

"I'll catch up," Senjo said.

"Sure." When Kohaku was out of earshot, Kurai sighed heavily and frowned.

"I told you she's acting odd."

"I'll talk to her, Kurai-kun. We'll be back soon."

"Not like I'm going anywhere." He sank back against the pillows and stared out the window. "Senjo," he called out before she had left the room.

"Yes?"

"Just…Just make sure Kohaku's okay."

"I will, don't worry."

* * *

"There's no way Kurai can make the trip home right now," Senjo explained to the other Sand ninjas. "So it might be better if you three took Kuro and report back to the Kazekage." They were sitting in a room of the hospital meant for conferences, and so far all they knew was that it would be a day or so until Kurai was released.

"What about you, Kohaku?" Temari asked as she crossed her legs and leaned back into her chair.

"I'm not sure yet," the brunette replied. "More than likely I'll wait to return with Kurai and Senjo. I'd rather not deal with my father by myself."

"Then we'll be leaving in the morning," Gaara told them, nodding his head as he left the room.

"I have to meet someone, so I'll see you all later," Temari excused herself. Kankuro waved a hand as he followed his sister, but they turned different directions out in the hall. Kohaku was betting she was meeting that Leaf Chuunin she'd talked about earlier, and she felt slightly jealous.

"Looks like we'll be getting dinner by ourselves," Senjo said with a laugh.

"Looks that way." The other girl seemed preoccupied by something, and Senjo was starting to worry again.

"Kohaku, are you all right? You haven't said much since we met up. There something on your mind?"

"No." The redhead frowned and moved to sit next to her teammate.

"Want to talk about what happened?"

"There's nothing to talk about. We all had to face our pasts, and we overcame them." Kohaku stood and went to the large window that overlooked the garden of the hospital. "We failed, you know. I heard that Sasuke made it to the Sound village."

"So even Naruto couldn't stop him?"

"Naruto was brought back half-dead. Some nurses were talking about it when I was on my way to meet you earlier, and they said he must've gotten into a pretty heated fight from the condition he was in."

"With who? If he could defeat the Shukaku, who could stand up to him?"

"You're forgetting that he summoned Gamabunta for that fight. What if he went solo this time?"

"But Kyuubi-"

"Demon spirits aren't the be all and end all, Senjo! Face it, we all failed today. There's a first time for everything."

"Kohaku, you're acting strange. What's wrong? You're starting to sound like Kurai." Senjo watched her head whip around, eyes narrowing in a glare. This wasn't the Kohaku she knew; not this girl who only seemed focused on the downside of things.

"Don't ever say that again." The words were whispered harshly, and it was obvious she was trying not to shout. "I'm tired of being lumped together with him. All I do is try and fix the messes he gets himself and us into. Right now I'm glad he's injured. At least I'll have some peace and quiet for a day or so."

"He's your brother! How can you say that?" the redhead yelled, walking over to her, a look of shock on her face.

"Because it's the truth," Kohaku replied with a shrug.

"Kohaku, what the hell happened out in the forest with Tansei? What did he say to you? Why are you suddenly thinking like this?" Silence followed the questions, and then Kohaku faced her once more. This time, her eyes were softer, and she seemed so much younger. Senjo remembered the last time she'd seen that look: It had been after her attack, when the doctors had told her she'd probably never be able to use her arms again.

"I saw myself like I'd been the night he broke me. I felt for him what I had felt back then. Only, it wasn't something he had done, but my own mind. He kept saying we'd be together, and I would never feel pain again. He offered me what I had wanted so desperately two years ago."

"And?" Senjo prompted, not sure what to expect.

"And I almost agreed to it! But the thought just made me sick, that after all he'd done, I still wanted him. So I had to bury my emotions as deep as I could. Every time I began thinking of joining Tansei, I had to do or say something to ground myself. And right before we killed him, right before I burned him alive, do you know what I was thinking?" She dropped her head, and Senjo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What were you thinking?"

"I kept thinking "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." I wanted to show him mercy!" She covered her face with her hands, and all Senjo saw was the red of her armguards for a few moments. "So I did the only thing that made sense. I became a mix between Tansei and Kurai: Cold, logical, detached, and slightly sadistic."

"You became the perfect ninja." The arms dropped, and a wry smile was on the brunette's face. Not surprisingly, she had not been crying, but Senjo was sure she had thought about allowing herself to.

"There are no perfect ninjas. Sooner or later you crack, die, or settle down and leave that life behind. No one can stay like that forever."

"Kurai-" Kohaku's hands her on her shoulders, and she stopped speaking and met her eyes. This was the girl she knew, the one who was concerned for her team above all else. She had been worried that something had happened to take away her friend, but for now, she was right in front of her.

"No one," she repeated, smiling for real. "Now let's go grab dinner. I'm starved."

* * *

There were sometimes unforeseen advantages to being a ninja, Kohaku realized as she made her way through the halls. So far no one had noticed her, and she hoped to keep it that way until she found her target. She knew this floor was for critical patients, or at least that's what the nurses she'd followed up here had said. With a little luck, Hyuuga Neji would be here. She'd overheard one of the med-nins say he'd pulled through the procedure all right, and more than likely he'd been moved here to recover. Suddenly a door at the end of the hall opened, and a girl walked out with her hands clasped in front of her, like she was praying. She had short dark-blue hair, a beige jacket, and dark pants. When she turned, Kohaku saw the white eyes, and silently cheered at her good luck. The girl glanced down the hall for a moment, then walked the opposite way and disappeared around a corner. The Sand girl quickly ran to the door she'd just left, pausing only long enough to make sure no one was in the room. When she was sure that she wouldn't be seen, Kohaku opened the door and slipped in, closing it behind her.

She had been prepared for almost anything thanks to her stay in the hospital back home, but the sight of Neji lying motionless on the bed made her chest tighten. She didn't know why she felt this way, but this wasn't something she could fight. It was a mixture of concern and a little bit of lust she couldn't explain. Neji had been the first Leaf ninja to not treat her as an enemy, so was that why she felt like this? No, it didn't make much sense as she turned it over in her mind. There had been something about him, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, that made her sense that he was slightly like her. Perhaps it was just her hormones betraying her, but it didn't really matter in the long run.

A machine was beeping softly on the far side of the bed. "Must be a heart monitor." The sheets were pulled up to his chest, and she could see bandages on his left shoulder beneath the loose clothes he wore. Though she knew his hair was long, seeing it lying around his face seemed to soften his features, and she reached out tentatively to touch his cheek. He didn't move, and she was at the same time grateful and a little disappointed. Hopefully he was past the worst, and now he would just need time and work to mend all the way. Stepping closer to the bed, she smiled down at him, smoothing his hair from his eyes without even thinking. What she saw on his forehead caused her to pause, and she stared at the mark in surprise and curiosity. It was a green X at the center of two thinner green lines. She'd never seen anything like it, and her hand came up to trace the marks.

"E-Excuse me!" a soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Kohaku spun around to see the girl who'd left the room earlier standing in the doorway. Oh, she was in deep trouble now, and there was nowhere to run. "What- What are you doing?" The girl seemed unsure of herself, like she wanted to be intimidating, but just couldn't.

"I'm sorry," Kohaku said, backing away from the bed with her hands up. "I didn't mean any harm. I just… I just wanted to see him." The girl walked over to the bed, taking a look at Neji before staring at her again. "Is he your brother?"

"Brother?" She looked puzzled for a moment, then said "Oh" in a small voice. "No, he's my cousin. I'm Hyuuga Hinata."

"I'm Hajino Kohaku. I'm sorry, Hinata, I meant no disrespect or harm. I just didn't think the nurses would let me in here."

"They probably wouldn't have," she said, her head down. Kohaku quirked an eyebrow and stared at her. What was with this girl? She seemed very hesitant, very insecure. If she was also a Hyuuga, she must be beneath Neji in clan rank. "I- I was here visiting one of my teammates when I heard about Neji, so I came up right away when I knew he'd been moved. I'm sure my family will be here soon."

"I should go then. Thank you, Hinata, for not thinking ill of me."

"Does he...Umm..." she started to ask.

"Does he what?"

"Does he...Mean something...To you?"" she whispered, pressing her fingers together. She had a smile on her face, but for some reason she seemed sad.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw the way you were looking at him. I- I feel the same way about someone." Now Kohaku was very confused. This girl was a Genin, the forehead protector proved that, but she just didn't seem to be a ninja. She was shy, quiet, and seemingly afraid of even speaking. And yet she could talk to a stranger about her feelings, and expect a reply? Unless… Unless she somehow could tell that Kohaku had truly meant no harm, and could discern her feelings. Was the Byakugan that powerful, that one only had to look at someone to know what they were feeling or thinking? There was something she hadn't thought of.

"How do you know how I feel?" Hinata's head stayed bowed for a moment, but then she lifted it and met the other girl's eyes dead on.

"I just do," she said quietly, as if it made perfect sense. "Please, I'll keep watch, if you want to stay a little longer."

"I- I really can't stay too long. My teammates will start to wonder where I am. But I can stay-" She glanced over at Neji again, and swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. "I can stay a few minutes more. Thank you." Hinata smiled shyly and stood by the door while Kohaku sat in the chair by the bed and touched Neji's cheek again. "I didn't come of my own will, or at least not entirely. But I swear, I want to help Sakura no matter what. Her enemies will be mine, and her goals will be mine. I will help her find Sasuke, and I will make him see what he was willing to walk away from." Standing up, Kohaku took a deep breath and pulled off one of her armguards. "We both have marks that make us different, but that doesn't mean we're weaker. I will grow stronger, and return here to make good on my words. Maybe then… Maybe then we can be friends, like you said." Folding up the red cloth, she left it on the chair, then slipped past Hinata.

"Did you say what you needed to?" she asked.

"Yes. Goodbye, Hyuuga Hinata. I hope to see you again one day."

"I'll make sure to tell Neji when you next arrive." Kohaku ran down the hall, her one armguard clutched in her hand. No more hiding, no more hurting, no more useless fighting. It was time to face the world, scars and all.

* * *

Senjo paused in front of the half-open door, wondering what she was going to say. She had heard the story so many times; how Naruto alone had found Sasuke, tried to bring him back, and ended up fighting him. But he'd lost, and the rival he considered a friend was now a missing-nin. What could she say to someone who had lost so much? Opening the door, she saw him sitting up, bandages covering almost every part of him. "Naruto?" she said softly. He turned his head, and a smile brightened his face. The orange rays of the setting sun gave him a healthy tan, and showed off the markings on his face.

"Senjo? What are you doing here? Couldn't wait to see my new technique?" His voice was cheery, but his eyes still held such sadness. He was trying so hard to not let anyone see how bothered he was by what had happened. She didn't want to upset him, but she needed to know what had happened. She might be able to find out what Orochimaru's plan was, or at least get something useful.

"Well with the way you were going on about it before, who wouldn't be curious as to see what it is?" She smiled, but knew it looked forced. "But it seems I'll have to wait a little longer to find out, huh?" Naruto nodded and looked out the window, sighing.

"I couldn't keep my promise," he said, more to himself.

"What promise?" She sat on the chair next to his bed, hands in her lap.

"I promised Sakura-chan that I would bring Sasuke back. When I had to tell her that I would try again, she just said that it was okay. She didn't seem to believe me, but I swore I'd find him. I won't go back on my promises. That's-"

"You're way of the ninja?" They both smiled for real, and sat in silence as the sun sank lower on the horizon.

"So what are you really doing here?" He wasn't upset, but sounded tired.

"We were asked to come help by the Hokage. Gaara's team is here too."

"So they helped everyone else?" Senjo felt useless at that point. Instead of being able to help her friends in Konoha, she'd spent all her time and energy fighting someone who should not have been as much trouble as he'd been. Kuro's power had doubled under Orochimaru, so what would become of Sasuke?

"Yes. All the others have been treated, and they're expected to recover completely." He closed his eyes and nodded, leaning back against the pillows. This was not the Naruto she knew. But the cheerful, smiling blonde boy she'd met was now trying to rationalize why all this was happening. Perhaps she could ease his worries. "Naruto… Would you- Can I- May I see what happened?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to help. My team was supposed to go after Sasuke directly, but we became sidetracked by former members of our village." He opened his eyes wide and sat up again, instantly alert.

"They joined Orochimaru?"

"Yes. He gave them seals of power, like Sasuke's, and they became his ninjas."

"Didn't anyone try to stop them before they left? What about their friends?"

"They didn't have any," she whispered, hanging her head. "They were a team of Genins that we graduated with, when we were all friends." She frowned as she thought momentarily of Kuro. "Well, we at least knew them for quite a while. Anyway, before they left the village, they all did things that would've gotten them in a lot of trouble had they stayed. One night, they just up and left, and our searches turned up nothing. We didn't know where they'd gone until this afternoon."

"Did Orochimaru make your friends turn against you?" She shook her head, fists clenching in her lap.

"No. They did that all on their own."

"Sasuke… Sasuke turned his back on us. He told me he couldn't get stronger if he stayed in Konoha. When he said he considered me his best friend, I thought that he might change his mind. But then he said that there was meaning in defeating me, and I got angry at him. That he was just going to leave everything and everyone behind just because he thought Orochimaru could give him power. We fought, and I gave it everything I had." He was silent, staring down at his bandaged hands like he couldn't quite remember how they'd gotten that way. "I can't really tell you what happened, because I don't know. Maybe if you look, you can tell me." Senjo sat up, looking into his eyes and seeing once more the sadness he was trying to hide.

"If that's what you want." He nodded once, his jaw set. She formed the seals, took a deep breath, and placed her hands on his temples. "Ninpou: Oboe tansa." (Memory Probe Technique). She didn't bother with surface emotions, but plunged straight into the actual scene, hearing the words exchanged between the two boys, feeling the anger rise, and watching as Sasuke was willing to do whatever it took for power. As the fight progressed, Senjo felt something at the back of her head, like a pressure she hadn't paid any attention too. It grew steadily, beating against the cage of her mind, desperately wanting release. The moment she realized what it was, the scene shifted, and Senjo found she was watching the fight from outside Naruto's body. The red chakra surrounded him, forming itself into tails, into a shield, into… The Kyuubi. The world went red, and she was thrown back into her own mind so violently that she tumbled out of the chair.

"Senjo!" Naruto called out, reaching for her. A hand was suddenly under her arm, lifting her to her feet.

"Very sloppy, Tanamari Senjo," Gaara's voice said from behind her. "Haven't you realized that there are some things people should never see?" He was staring at her, and Naruto was looking back and forth between the two of them. "Uzumaki Naruto. It's been a while."

"So it has, Gaara," Their voices were deadpan and flat, and Senjo was suddenly worried that something would happen to cause a fight. Her stomach twisted into a knot as the desert child raised his hand, and Naruto did the same. But when Gaara dropped his hand and bowed his head slightly, she breathed out a heavy sigh of relief and stepped back. Naruto gave a victory sign and laughed.

"Trying to be Hokage before your time?" Gaara continued. "You had everyone worried, including Senjo."

"Well, I had to do what was right," Naruto replied with a grin.

"I'll leave you two to play catch-up," Senjo said as she smiled and left the room. She walked down the hall, taking slow breaths to calm her racing heart. What she had seen before the Kyuubi had kicked her out had not been pleasant. Kurai and Kohaku would want to hear about what had happened. Just then she yawned, realizing for the first time how tired she was. "It can wait till morning. All I want now is a soft bed and pillow. Besides, it's not like they're going anywhere anytime soon."

* * *

Kurai woke with a start, remnants of the dream he'd had passing before his eyes like phantoms. Someone stirred next to him, and he looked up expecting to see Senjo. Instead, Kohaku turned tired eyes up at him from where she sat in the chair "Where's Senjo?"

"She's visiting Naruto. Partially to say hi, but she also wants to find out what happened between him and Sasuke."

"He still owes me a rematch," Kurai said as he turned his head and sighed in annoyance.

"Who, Sasuke?" She shrugged and gave a derisive chuckle. "When I see him next, he'll be lucky if he can walk anywhere after."

"What makes you think you'll see him again? From what Makoto and Tansei kept saying, he'll probably be experimented on to death."

"Do you really think Orochimaru will waste the Sharingan on experiments? From what Senjo was saying, he's had his eyes on the Uchiha bloodline for a while."

"She never said anything about it to me." Kohaku stared at him, brushing her bangs out of her face and readjusting her forehead protector.

"And when the hell was the last time you talked to her? Both mother and Naiteki-san said you've been avoiding her lately. I don't know what you learned on that little training expedition, but you better unlearn it." He whipped his head back around.

"What's that-"

"How did you beat Makoto?" She was all business again, and the sudden topic shift caught him off-guard.

"I snapped her neck."

"What trick did she have up her sleeve?"

"Why does-"

"Answer the question." Even in the dark of the room, he could see how serious she was. But did it matter what trick Makoto had used? She was dead, after all.

"She'd made a clone of me using my blood from years ago and a forbidden technique. I had to kill the duplicate before dealing with her." He paused, not sure he wanted to admit what he'd done. "I had to think of a new technique to stop it."

"We both know that isn't true," Kohaku whispered.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"You talk in your sleep."

"I do not!" She frowned slightly, one eyebrow raised.

"Fine, then you talk when you're unconscious and having a nightmare. You were dreaming about your fight with Makoto. I heard everything you said." He vaguely remembered seeing her in his dreams, hearing the taunts of the clone she'd made. But just like in reality, he'd called up the earth to kill his duplicate.

"And what did I say that made you think I'm lying?"

"Take a wild guess." Now Kurai was mad, and he sat up and grabbed her arm. But the moment his fingers wrapped around the scars, he jerked his hand back.

"Where are your armguards? Why did you take them off?"

"One is going to Sakura, and the other I left with Hyuuga Neji. As to why, it's because I no longer need to wear them." The shock was written plainly across her brother's face, and she sighed. "When I got out of the hospital, you gave me those armguards. You told me it was so that no one would pity me. I never told you that I found out the real reason."

"What reason is that?" His voice came out much softer that he'd wanted, and he silently cursed himself.

"You felt guilty about my injuries, that you hadn't been there to help me. My scars reflected your inability to protect not only your teammate, but your family. **You** couldn't stand the sight of them; that's why you wanted them covered. That's also when you stopped trying to mimic Gaara's attacks. You scarred Daichi that day because you didn't want him going down a path you'd blocked for yourself." Kohaku took a deep breath, not sure how he would respond to her next question. "The attack you used on your clone was your version of Sabaku kyuu (Desert Coffin), wasn't it?"

"You still remember me copying that?"

"Father threatened to beat you within an inch of your life when he found out. You accepted that you could only use techniques the clan or you yourself created. Daichi believes that this is what holds us back. If the Hajino Clan is to survive, we must learn from the desert child and ourselves." Silence enveloped the room for a few minutes.

"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" She smiled, pushing him back onto the bed until his head was on the pillow again.

"If you mean to say-"

"I meant what I said. You know, all day I've had nothing but girls trying to tell me things. Between you and Senjo, I feel like I'm back in school."

"Well, did you learn anything?"

"I learned that you two are bitchy after a major fight." He received a punch to his shoulder that sent waves of pain traveling down his arm. "That's my bad arm!" he hissed.

"I know," she replied with a wicked grin. "I was being-"

"A bitch?" They both chuckled, and Kurai yawned. "I need more rest, I guess. You should get some sleep too." Kohaku stretched and yawned as well.

"Maybe you're right." She curled on her side on the chair and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, her deep breathing signaled she was asleep. Kurai smiled slightly and draped his vest over her.

"Thanks Kohaku. Looks like I have some thinking to do." When Senjo entered the room a little later, the twins were sleeping peacefully, and she crept into a chair on the other side of Kurai.

"Finally, a night of peace," she whispered, closing her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: 4,000+ hits to the story, 9 reviews, 7 favorites, and 6 alerts. Wow. Chapter 13 starts to bring this story to a close, and the next chapter will be the last. However, I am working on a story for after the timeskip, but I'm waiting for the anime to continue with that arc before I begin adding too much. I have read the manga, but I have a feeling the show will have more detail. Enjoy!

Chapter 13

Sakura was overlooking the water on one of the bridges near the hospital. Thoughts of Sasuke and the past few days drifted through her mind. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Kohaku until the older girl touched her shoulder. "Sakura?"

"Oh, Kohaku!" she said with a slight jump. "Sorry I was just thinking."

"About Sasuke?"

"About everything." She turned back to staring at the water. "While Naruto and the others were risking their lives, all I did was cry. I should have gone with them and helped. But I don't have any special skills, or a bloodline to help me. I'm useless!" Kohaku leaned over the railing and watched their reflections for a moment.

"If you truly believe that, then you should give up being a ninja." When the other girl pulled back in shock, she continued: "Unless you have tried everything in your power, unless you cannot move at all, unless you can see death on the horizon, you are not useless. Forget about what everyone else can do. If you really want to get Sasuke back, you will find a way. And it will be in a way that you will be useful. You might have to work at it and wait a while, but at least you have a goal. And when you're ready, I want to help you."

"Help me?" Kohaku held out her hand, and Sakura saw her bare arms, covered with curving scars all the way to her elbows. In her hand was one of her armguards.

"I swear on these scars, and on my family's honor, that I will help you retrieve Sasuke. All you need to do is tell me when, where, and how."

"Kohaku… Why?"

"Because you shouldn't have to do this alone. Having a friend by your side is always better. I was lucky to have Senjo and Kurai help me recover, and while I know you have friends here, it's nice to know someone else went through a similar thing. I'm leaving for home today, to grow and train so I can help myself as well. When you feel you're ready, just let me know." Sakura took the armguard and smiled.

"Thank you." Kohaku pulled her into a hug, which momentarily surprised the pink-haired girl. But when she returned the gesture, Kohaku spoke again.

"I made a promise to someone that I would aid this village of my own free will. I believe that by helping you, I can keep that promise.

"Naruto promised me he would get Sasuke back, no matter how long it took."

"He's a good guy, and I'm sure he'll keep his promise." They broke apart, and Kohaku turned to go. "Have faith in yourself, Sakura. That's the one thing that will keep you going no matter what."

"I will. Until next time, Kohaku."

"Until next time."

* * *

Senjo knocked on the door to Naruto's room and opened it, seeing the blonde boy look up and smile. "Good morning, Senjo," he greeted. She smiled back, glad to see that he was back to his old self, or at least as much as he could be. 

"I've come to say goodbye again, Naruto." She was a little sad to have to leave so suddenly, but with their mission over, there was no point lingering. Kurai had said he was going to go crazy if he stayed in the hospital any longer.

"Gaara and the others left yesterday, right?"

"Yes, and Kurai has recovered enough to travel, so we need to head home and make our reports." She wasn't looking forward to putting her fight with Kuro on paper, nor the third degree her mother would no doubt be giving her. However, that was a necessary evil, and part of her job.

"I'm leaving soon too," Naruto said as he gazed out the window. "The perverted hermit is going to train me so that I can go after Sasuke."

"Oh, Kurai's father took him training when he left Konoha the first time. When you're done, maybe I could-"

"I'll be gone for a couple years." The redhead's jaw hit the floor as she stared at him. Naruto had a serious look on his face, and it was slightly unnerving. He looked much better smiling, but this was the face of a ninja, not a child.

"Years? But… Why?"

"Orochimaru is strong, stronger than anything we've ever faced. If I want to help Sasuke, I need to get even stronger. I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it."

"Is your teammate going with you?"

"No, just me. I… I don't want to leave, but at the same time, I do. I need to help Sasuke, but I know that I'll be leaving everyone else I care about behind, especially Sakura-chan. I know she's really hurt by what Sasuke did, even if she doesn't say it."

"Sakura will be okay," Senjo told him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Kohaku is going to keep in touch with her, and she still has the other Genins here to watch her back."

"Senjo… Can I ask you something, about that team you fought trying to get to Sasuke?" She grimaced, but nodded. "If you would've been able to stop them, to talk to them before they hurt you, what would you have said?"

"Naruto…" She looked down at her feet, twirling a strand of her hair nervously around her finger. There was only one way to answer him: Truthfully. "I don't think any amount of talking could've stopped them from doing what they did. Maybe Tansei, because I think he cared for Kohaku at one point, but not the other two. Kuro and Makoto were so busy trying to boss people around and become powerful, that they lost sight of what being human was all about. After that, the three of them let hate and jealousy consume them. They became worse monsters than the Shukaku."

"So there was no way you could've saved them?"

"Naruto, no one in my village is like you. In fact, I've never met any other ninja like you. You believe so much in everyone around you, that you can't or don't want to see the bad that can exist in people."

"I know bad people exist!" he shouted, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. "I fought Orochimaru, I saw what his ninjas could do, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on people! Gaara was someone your village gave up on, but I knew what he'd gone through, and I told him that. Do you still think he's the same person?"

"No," she replied after a few moments of silence. "Whatever you said to him during that fight in the forest changed him for the better. But not many people think like you do, Naruto. I've seen too much hurt to see the good in everyone."

"Kakashi-sensei keeps telling me that one day I'll think that way too. The perverted hermit said the same thing. But if I'm going to become Hokage, I can't just see one side of things. I think… I think you have to have been through a lot to be able to see the best in everything. Like me, and Gaara. Even others, like Neji, Sakura, Lee, Hinata, and you." He smiled up at her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Me? How do you know what I've been through?"

"You have eyes like me. And even when you're smiling, sometimes I can tell that you really don't want to. But you keep smiling for your teammates, and for those you care about. That's why I need to leave, because I want to make Sakura-chan smile for real. And I want to see Sasuke smile too."

"If anyone can do that, Uzumaki Naruto, it's you." She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "Good luck on your training. Make sure you come visit when you get back." He smiled, giving her a thumbs-up.

"It's a promise!"

* * *

Home had never looked so good, the trio thought as they entered the gates. They were a full two days behind Gaara's team, and they had failed their mission, but right now barely any of that seemed to matter. Straight to the Kazekage's office they went, saying nothing except to announce themselves to the door guards. It was only when facing their leader that they bowed deeply, and after a moment Kurai said, "Please forgive us." 

"For what?" the older man asked, lifting the brim of his hat to stare at them.

"We failed. Sasuke was taken by the Sound."

"So he was. Though the way I understand it, you were faced with some of our traitorous missing-nin." When they looked up in confusion, he went on: "Temari explained as much as she knew about the situation, and Kankuro was very forthcoming in stating that you had dealt with the prisoner he had, Senjo. So you killed two from his team and brought back our runaway Kuro so Naiteki could gather his memories."

"But that wasn't our original mission," Kohaku spoke up.

"No, it was not," the Kazekage said with a sigh. "So yes, a failure will be recorded for the C-rank mission you were briefed on. However, a success will be recorded for the capture and eradication of the three missing-nins. When I have Naiteki's final report on the prisoner, I will rank the mission and summon you three to give your reports on it. You are dismissed until then."

"Yes sir!" they chorused, leaving as quickly as politeness allowed. Standing in the street, Senjo realized she'd been partially holding her breath, and let it out in a large sigh as she leaned against Kohaku.

"My mother is going to kill me when she finds me."

"Why would she do that? It's not like you went looking for that bastard," the brunette argued gently. "Besides, you beat him."

"Barely. You two killed Tansei and Makoto."

"Yes, but I left Makoto's body lying in the forest," Kurai pointed out. "Not exactly the smartest thing to do."

"Like anyone would be able to learn something from her? That girl was useless as a ninja. She was a medic, that's it."

"Funny, but she seemed to think that Senjo was the useless one." The redhead's eyes darkened, and Kohaku frowned. "That's when I snapped her neck." Senjo's eyes widened as her jaw dropped slightly. He'd had her that close to snap her neck, instead of using a technique to finish her off? Had Kuro's team really underestimated them that much that they'd allowed themselves to be approached? Certainly from what she'd seen, and now what she was hearing, that appeared to be the case.

"Kurai-kun…" He took her hand and squeezed it.

"I won't have anyone bad-mouthing you, especially her. Now come on, let's get you home before Kohaku and I go see our father."

"Which I'm so **very** much looking forward to." Laughing a little bit, the trio headed off in the direction of the Tanamari house. No one was outside to greet them, and so Senjo quietly opened the door.

"Mother, father, Inkei?" she called. Silence for a moment, and then footsteps were pounding on the wooden floor, and the twins barely had enough time to get out of the way before Seishin and Inkei both latched onto her.

"You're back!" the boy greeted, holding onto her arm.

"You're okay!" Seishin added, arms wrapped around her in a strong hug. When her back popped slightly, he let go and patted her head. "I knew you'd be fine."

"I'm glad someone had faith in me," she teased. Seishin turned to the Hajinos, shaking their hands.

"I'm sure you two had a hand in-"

"Actually, it was all Senjo's doing," Kohaku explained. "We were busy with our own battles, and she took Kuro out all on her own."

"And came out of it mostly untouched," Kurai added with a smile as Senjo blushed. Inkei was grinning at his sister, but said nothing.

"Would you two like to stay for dinner? Naiteki isn't cooking."

"Unfortunately Tanamari-san, we have to get back home and see our father."

"Of course, Kurai. Do me a favor though, and give Taru a message?"

"I will."

"Tell him that his former teammates hope that he'll pull the stick out of his ass before he says something stupid to the two of you." When the Hajinos raised their eyebrows, Senjo shot her father a dirty look. "I'm serious, and make sure you tell him those exact words. I almost hope it makes him come here to discuss it with me. Then I can really give him a piece of my mind."

"We will, Tanamari-san," Kohaku promised. "Good day." When they were out of earshot, Senjo said:

"Father, what's gotten into you? You can't expect them to actually **tell** Hajino-san that. He won't be very happy."

"I know," Seishin replied with a small smile. "But as I told them, I hope he comes down here so your mother and I can talk some sense into him. He and Atsui raised some fine ninjas. I won't stand back and watch him ruin them for his own selfish reasons."

* * *

Atsui was just arriving home when she heard footsteps coming up behind her. A moment later, Kurai and Kohaku each took a bag from her arms. "When did you two get here?" she asked in surprise. "And where's Senjo?" 

"She's at home," her daughter replied as they walked into the house and quickly removed their sandals. "Tanamari-san was very happy to see her."

"I can imagine." In the kitchen, the twins began putting things away while Atsui started dinner. The setting made it seem like a normal night, but there was an undercurrent to them that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "You all had us worried, you know," she said after a few minutes. "When the other team said you'd stayed back because of injuries, I thought Naiteki and Seishin were going to march to Konoha themselves to get answers. And for it to be those three you faced…"

"We're fine now, mother," Kurai insisted

"Then why didn't you return sooner?" Taru demanded, coming into the room. No one had heard him come into the house, and Atsui had not expected him home so early. His vest was still dusty, his hands smudged with dirt. He'd either been training, or on a mission. "Don't tell me Senjo was hurt and you waited-"

"Actually Father, they were waiting for me," Kurai interrupted as he stood and pulled down his shirt to expose the bandage still on his shoulder. Atsui and Kohaku stared at him with wide eyes, and a vein in Taru's neck visibly twitched.

"You and I will discuss this matter. **Now**."

"Father, wait-" Kohaku began.

"You help your mother, Kohaku. I just need Kurai to tell me what happened." Without another word the two men went into the training room and closed the door.

"He didn't do anything wrong!" the girl shouted, slamming her fists on the table. It was then that Atsui realized she wasn't wearing her armguards, and she quickly went to her daughter's side. "He was only helping me." The last part was whispered, and Kohaku bent her head and clenched her fists. Atsui reached out her arm, every part of her mind screaming that she shouldn't do this.

_'She's a ninja, this is what they do. She's a Chuunin of Sand, this is the life she chose. This is what battle does to people. She has killed people, injured them, and keeps going back for more.'_ But the older woman shook her head and clenched her own fist as she shut out all thoughts but one: _'She is my daughter.'_ Wrapping her arms around Kohaku, Atsui pulled her into a hug like she had done when the children had been younger. To her surprise, Kohaku didn't pull away, and even hugged her in return.

"Kurai came to help me, after he had dealt with Makoto. But she had injured him more than he wanted to admit, but still he kept attacking Tansei. Even after we killed him, he still wanted to go after Senjo and make sure she was okay. He was willing to sacrifice himself to help us. Why can't that be enough for Father?"

"At one time, it was. He knew the value of teamwork and depending on your friends in a tough situation. But he's hidden that under his hatred for the desert child and the contempt for the village even allowing it to happen. That's why I don't want either of you to become like that, to lose yourself the way your father has."

"I used to think that Kurai was following that path, but I think the time we've spent helping Konoha has changed him. That, and Senjo never gave up on him."

"Then you did?" Kohaku pulled away then, staring at her scars for a moment.

"I did, because I thought he was pulling away from us. But when I saw him in the clearing when Tansei had me, I knew that he was done trying to be like Father, and back to being Kurai." Atsui swallowed a lump in her throat and placed her hand on Kohaku's arm, feeling the scars for the first time since she'd gotten them.

"What did he do to you?" Her eyes darkened, her grip tightening. "What did that bastard do to you?" Kohaku locked eyes with her mother for a moment, allowing a part of the emotion she'd felt during the fight to surface. Kurai displayed his "darkness" openly, as an intimidation factor, but she kept hers hidden. But it was no less frightening to someone who was facing her in battle, and even her own mother had to look away.

"He tried to torture me again, but I killed him. I wasn't about to become that same frightened little girl, no matter what I felt for him." Kohaku smiled then, and the darkness faded. "But I'm still myself, mother. I will always be Kohaku."

"I know. I still worry about you. That's my job as a mother. You hunt, I help. You injure, I nurture. You kill, I comfort. One day when you have children, you'll understand." Atsui hugged her daughter again, then went back to making dinner. Kohaku was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"When we left Senjo at home, Tanamari-san asked us to deliver a message to Father. I was just trying to figure out a way to tell him that wouldn't get us killed."

"What's the message?"

"That his former teammates hope he pulls the stick out of his ass before he says something stupid to us." Her mother dropped the knife she was holding onto the cutting board, and Kohaku stood.

"Seishin… Seishin said that?" It was not the first time she'd heard the comment from the other man, but this time, something was bothering her about it.

"Mother, are you all right?" Daichi asked as he came into the room, even as Kohaku nodded.

"You two stay here. I need to talk to your father." As she passed by the children, they both heard her whisper: "Before their fears are realized."

* * *

Kurai could tell his father was angry. Taru was standing next to a large rock, one hand on it surface and one by his side. His eyes never left Kurai, who was standing in the middle of the training area. Every so often, Taru would shift his weight from one leg to the other, and the hand on the rock would clench into a fist, and then relax. Kurai had never seen his father take that stance before, and something about it unnerved him. _'Now I know how a mouse feels when a hawk is circling.'_

"Tell me what happened," his father said, voice slightly betraying his anger.

"We separated once we were inside the Fire Country's borders, hoping to locate our target faster. But soon after the split, we were attacked by Akanaho Tansei's team, and they proved more difficult-"

"Difficult? They were Genins!" Taru yelled, hand sliding off the rock. "You mean to say a lower-rank **traitor** was a problem for you? You are a Chuunin; you have been through years of training. Do you mean to say that my taking the time to train you better in our family techniques was a waste?" He looked away for a moment. "And you call yourself my son?" The moment the words registered, anger and embarrassment flared red in Kurai's face.

"Makoto-"

"**Makoto**? You found **her** difficult? She came from a family of med-nins! Everything about her was weak. Your brother would be able to take her." Kurai's fists were clenched, but he willed himself to stay in one place.

"Two years changed her. She learned things from Orochimaru-"

"Not even he can turn failures-"

"Yes he **can**." Kurai's voice was dangerously low, his teeth grinding against one another as he took a step towards his father. "You weren't there, so you have no idea. Makoto learned a forbidden technique, and with it she created an exact clone of me. It was the clone I had to fight, and only my training with you allowed me to win." He nearly choked on the partial-lie even as he said it, but he wasn't going to anger his father any more than he already was. "Tansei was another matter entirely. I went to help Kohaku, and by the time I got there, it was clear that they'd been fighting for a while. He had some new technique that involved sound waves, and he had us damn near immobile. Kohaku ended up figuring out how to get around the ability, and she was the one who ended the fight. When I went to go to Senjo, I collapsed. My clone had taken a decent amount of my chakra to defeat, and then Tansei physically wore me out. That's why we stayed behind in Konoha. I needed time to recover, because as much as I hate admitting it, the Sound sent some decent opposition for us."

"Senjo didn't seem to have a problem with Kuro." The smirk was on his father's face, and Kurai felt his legs still moving forward, even though he was trying to stop. He noticed his father's hand had gone back to the rock, and he could sense chakra moving between the two, but he was angry enough to dismiss it as Taru trying to remain calm as well. Right now he needed every ounce of will not to hit the older man.

"Kuro dealt mostly with genjutsu, and Senjo said he treated her as if she was the same person. He was stupid, where Makoto and Tansei weren't. They still underestimated us, but Kuro was the worst."

"They still should not have been a problem. If you're going to challenge Gaara-"

"Father, why are you so eager for me to challenge him? Everyone I've talked to believes it's suicide."

"It's your duty!" Taru shouted, coming right into Kurai's face. "You have a duty to this clan, and as my son. We need to regain our honor, and the only way to do that is to have you defeat that monster in battle."

"What if I don't believe that anymore?" Kurai whispered, staring into Taru's eyes.

"Then you aren't fit to be called my son. You will either obey my wishes, or you will be disowned." Taru went back to the rock, and now the chakra flow increased. Kurai stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide, fighting to breathe normally. The door suddenly flew open, and Atsui walked in, followed by Kohaku and Daichi. "Atsui, I told you-"

"Taru, I need to discuss a few things with you." Her voice was calm, but Kurai detected a strangled tone to it. "Children, to your rooms."

"Atsui-" The woman held up a hand, fixing her eyes on her husband. She saw the stance he was in, and her gaze widened for a moment. Kohaku walked over to her brother and pulled him from the room.

"Now." That one word, from the mouth of the woman who had never been a ninja, forced the hairs on everyone's arms to rise. Daichi scurried out of the room, and the twins followed him before the door was slammed shut.

"Mom was really annoyed," Daichi stated. They all stared at the door, and muffled yelling could be heard.

"Annoyed doesn't even begin to describe it," Kohaku said.

* * *

"Senjo, I'd like to speak to you after dinner," Naiteki said that evening as they were sitting down. 

"Sure," she replied, slightly puzzled. The meal was eaten in silence, and even Inkei seemed to realize that something was up. After the table had been cleared, Seishin and Inkei left the women alone. The moment the boys were gone, Senjo found herself pulled into a fierce hug. "Mother, what's wrong?" Nothing had been said about her return, and the sudden show of affection was unlike Naiteki.

"If I had thought for an instant that they had gone to the Sound village, I'd have faced Orochimaru myself to get them." The woman whispered, staring into her daughter's eyes. "Those three were dangerous, no matter what the previous Kazekage thought." She had kept her composure throughout the day when dealing with her staff and the Kazekage, but now she was ready to hit something. Things might have gone very differently if not for Senjo's and the twins' training.

"But we beat them," the redhead pointed out. "And we came out mostly unscathed." Naiteki smiled as she released her tight grip.

"You're my daughter, and a Chuunin of Sand. I wouldn't have accepted anything less." Senjo smiled and bowed her head for a moment.

"I know."

"Still, I must say I was surprised by Kuro's punishment. I thought you weren't that sadistic?" At the mention of the boy's name, Senjo's eyes darkened, and her fists clenched for a moment.

"He's an enemy who deserved no better. Besides, weren't you the one to tell me to become sadistic? That if I wasn't, I would break long before my prisoners?"

"So I did." They were silent for a few minutes.

"How did you find out?" the girl finally asked.

"From Kuro himself, actually." When she saw her daughter's eyes widen, Naiteki patted her arm. "Don't worry, he didn't break out of your technique. But when I went peeking into his mind, I ended up finding out what you'd done."

"Like I said, he deserved no better."

"You're going to need to make sure he stays in that genjutsu. It won't take much; maybe a reapplication of chakra once a week or so."

"I know." Senjo thought for a moment, then smiled. "Is that how you knew? When you detected my chakra still in his mind?"

"Yes and no. Like I said, I needed to know what you'd done, and Kankuro only told me that he found Kuro like that with you. I detected your chakra when I tried to trace his memories of your fight."

"How is he enjoying his punishment?" Naiteki's sadistic grin matched Senjo's.

"Not one bit. He didn't see me, or else I think he would've died on the spot." She chuckled, then yawned. "Well, we should both turn in. We've got a busy day tomorrow, and the Kazekage will want a full report on what you heard from Kuro."

"Yes mother." Walking up to her room, Senjo shook her head and tapped the wall. "Inkei, you're not very good at hiding yet. If mother catches you-"

"I know, she'll twist my mind like a string puzzle," the boy said as he stepped out of the shadows in the hallway. "But I heard everyone talking about how you broke Kuro, and I wanted to see what you'd done. But mother never told me, and said I don't need to worry about it."

"She's right, you don't. It was my battle, and I took care of it. You'll have your own enemies to deal with when you become a ninja." A grin broke out on Inkei's face: A smaller version of her sadistic grin.

"What was it like, to finally teach that bastard a lesson?"

"It felt good."

"I never liked him. Kuro was always so full of himself, and he was always bossing you around. Why didn't you ever fight back when he first started?"

"I was a different person, Inkei," Senjo said softly. "And Kuro still thought I was the same when he saw me in the forest. That's how I was able to beat him." She turned to open the door to her room, when she felt Inkei tugging on her vest.

"What did you do, anyway? Please tell me? I promise I won't say a word to anyone else, not even Daichi." She looked him square in the eyes, not saying anything for a moment, then sighed.

"Very well. I trapped Kuro in his own mind, in what looks like a classroom. Except that this classroom has a movie projector running all the time. And the movies it shows are of me. Me living my life without him, and being happy." When her brother looked puzzled, she chuckled. "See, Kuro always thought I needed him to live, to be happy. It was why he bossed me around when I was younger, because he knew I would always come back to him. So I'm showing him what kind of person I've become without him, and how happy I am now. And if he ever tries to leave the classroom, I have a trap ready: If he ever tries to break out of the technique, he'll see me, Kohaku, and Kurai surround him. That's when we'll take turns beating the hell out of him."

"Wow," Inkei said, eyes wide. "But doesn't that take a lot of chakra to maintain?"

"I have to keep feeding chakra to the genjutsu, but as I learn to control it, the energy it needs will drop slightly. And who knows, maybe one day I'll let Kuro out."

"Why would you do that?" Senjo grinned and shrugged.

"So he can meet mine and Kurai's kids."

* * *

"Inkei, move it!" Naiteki yelled up the stairs the next morning. "Your sister doesn't have all day!" 

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he replied as he nearly tripped down the steps. "Like Senjo never slept late when she was my age?"  
"Not if dad and a cup of water had anything to say about it," the redhead shot back as Naiteki waved a spoon in Inkei's face like it was a kunai. He quickly sat down, and Seishin and Senjo dissolved into chuckles.

"I want you two down by the sentry posts at the cliff," Naiteki explained as she sat down to eat. "Practice the self-concealing genjutsu, then move on to covering each other. The moment one of the sentries see you, it'll be time to try again."

"Yes ma'am," the siblings chorused. While she wasn't exactly looking forward to spending all day with her brother, Senjo knew her mother was very busy, and someone needed to teach him the tricks of the family. Seishin was quiet content to let Naiteki pass on her techniques, as he had no unique ones of his own. A knock sounded on the front door, and everyone looked up.

"I thought we were getting mission orders at the Kazekage's office," Seishin said as he went to answer it.

"I did too." But when her father came back with Hajino-san and Atsui-san, Senjo nearly choked on her food. Naiteki's eyes shifted between her guests and the kids. "Out," she ordered after a moment of awkward silence.

"Going," Senjo told her, half-dragging Inkei out the door. When the adults were alone, the village interrogator stood up and offered her chair to Atsui.

"No, thank you," the woman replied, smiling a little. Taru was glaring at Seishin, who had on an unfazed look.

"You had no right!" the dark-haired man shouted suddenly, rounding on his former teammate. Atsui took a step back even as Seishin held his ground.

"No right to do what? No right to tell your kids how much of an ass you're being towards them? Taru, I had-"

"They're **my** children! I will raise them as I see fit. I don't care what the relationship between Kurai and Senjo is; I will not have you two meddling in my personal affairs."

"Hold on a moment, Taru," Naiteki interjected. "Whatever Seishin said is between you and him. However, I will agree that you are pushing those three a lot harder than you should be."

"How I treat my children is none of your business!"

"Taru, they are your friends," Atsui argued gently. "They just want to help."

"I don't need it. The twins are fine, and Daichi will soon become a responsible ninja just like his brother."

"Who is just as stubborn and egotistical as you are," Seishin shot back. "You're stifling your son, Taru. Let him grow as his own person."

"Like you're one to talk? Naiteki runs this family, even though the children bear your name. Some father you are." Seishin's cheeks almost matched his hair, and now the women stepped forward.

"You are sorely testing my patience today, Taru," Naiteki warned. "Seishin has no family techniques to pass on, and the childrens' training was discussed long before they started it. Just because we're concerned for the well-being of our friends doesn't give you the right to storm in here and insult us."

"Big talk for a-"

"Don't you **dare **finish that sentence!" Atsui suddenly slammed her hands down on the counter, startling all of them.

"Stop it, all of you!" she screamed. "I am so sick of this. Just because we have children does not mean we need to act like them." She turned to her husband, eyes narrowed. "Tell them what you were doing yesterday with Kurai. Tell them about the stance you took with him."

"Stance?" the Tanamaris asked.

"Atsui-" Taru's voice was quiet, but it was a forced quiet. He was angry, even beyond that. But she was a mother first and foremost, and she would not let a threat to her children go unanswered.

"You were standing by a rock, with one hand on it! Your legs were braced for a charge. I saw your eyes, Taru. They were cold, calculating. You were a Jounin in there, not a father. You were ready to kill your own son!" Silence descended on the room as Seishin and Naiteki felt their jaws drop and their eyes widen.

"Taru, is this true?"

"Only if he'd made a move against me, Naiteki."

"You threatened to disown him!" Atsui continued. She turned to the other two. "Taru wants Kurai to fight the desert child. When Kurai voiced a different opinion, Taru threatened to cast him out of the family." No one moved, no one even seemed to breathe. And then Seishin moved, stepping forward and throwing a right cross at Taru, catching him full in the jaw.

"You stupid son-of-a-bitch!" he yelled as the other man crashed to the floor. Atsui moved to assist her husband, but Naiteki put out her arm and stopped her.

"Let it go," she said, eyes narrowed at her former teammate. "Because I'm a few seconds away from doing the same thing."

"He's your **son**!" Seishin was going on. "Your flesh and blood, a child you helped create. Forget about the heir to the clan, forget about regaining the family honor, and forget about any sort of grudge you hold for the previous Kazekage and his child. Kurai has turned out to be a decent young man, despite all your efforts to change him into a clone of yourself. He is not you, Taru, and never will be. Don't throw away a good thing just because you don't think he's perfect. You've let Kohaku and Daichi follow their own ways, so why not Kurai?"

"Because they are not my first-born son. They do not hold the future of our family in their hands. If you were from a bloodlined-clan, you'd understand that," came the reply as Taru stood up and wiped away a trickle of blood from his split lip.

"Every child is just as important," Naiteki broke in. "Senjo is our first-born, and she will always be better in our techniques than Inkei. Not because of any patriarchal bullshit, but because that's who **she** is. You have such diversity in your own children. The only problem is that you're too blind to appreciate it." Stepping to the front door, Taru put his sandals on and stepped into the doorway.

"I will not tolerate any meddling in my children's affairs. I am their father, and I will do with them what I wish. Atsui, let's go."

"I'll be along later," she said softly, meeting his gaze directly.

"So be it." The door slammed shut, and she collapsed into Naiteki's arms.

"How could he think that? Those are our children."

"Not to Taru. They're only weapons in his mind," Naiteki said.

"Atsui, I apologize," Seishin said as he came over. "I never meant for it to come down like that. I just wanted to try and talk some sense into him."

"I know, and I thank you both for trying. At least I know the children have somewhere to come if anything ever happened."

"And if it did, I'd march every available person I have down to your house and throw Taru in a cell for a night or three. But at this point, it's up to the kids how they handle things."

"I know. I just hope Kurai makes the right decision."

"He will," Seishin said with a smile. "He's got enough of you in him to balance out that egotistical Hajino side."

"We'll see," Naiteki whispered dryly.

* * *

Kohaku and Kurai stepped out of the village interrogator's office, shaking their heads to clear them. "A necessary evil," Naiteki told them, sounding slightly apologetic "But now at least I can make a full report on the rank of those missing-nins." 

"Sure," Kurai said, rotating his injured shoulder to loosen it. Though he knew reliving the memories was a partial illusion, it still unnerved him. Senjo's mental abilities were fast approaching her mother's, and there would be a time when she would change. Just like he had…

"Kohaku, would you mind hanging back a moment?"

"Is there a problem, Naiteki-san?" She tried to smile, but an undercurrent of worry was visible in her eyes. Had the older woman seen something in her memories that was a concern? More than likely, especially if her thoughts regarding Tansei had been read. Her thoughts had been of forsaking the village and joining the boy she'd loved, and that was treason no matter how you looked at it.

"Just some girl talk," came the reply. Kurai took the hint and began walking.

"I need to talk to Daichi about something, anyway. See you at home." When he was out of earshot, Naiteki's hand came down on her shoulder.

"Your parents came to see us this morning."

"I know. They left right after breakfast."

"Have you been home since?" Kohaku shook her head. "Might I suggest you avoid your father for a little while. He left less than happy."

"Naiteki-san, you can't protect us from him, or what he does," Kohaku said as she turned to face her teammate's mother. "I appreciate what you and Tanamari-san are trying to do, but Father is very set in his ways. He'll regain the family honor even if it kills us." The way she said it so calmly made the woman repress a shiver.

"Kohaku, I know you and Kurai can handle yourselves as far as missions and other shinobi duties. But are you really willing to sacrifice yourself to fight Gaara?"

"No, and neither are my brothers."

"Then what-"

"Naiteki-san, let us make our own ways, just as you all did. Whether Father accepts what we do or not remains to be seen, but at least we'll be happy. Kurai is the one who will challenge Gaara if he wants to, but he'll do it for his own reasons. As for Daichi and myself, we're doing okay so far, don't you think?" Kohaku smiled for real, and Naiteki returned it, patting her shoulder lightly.

"You are. Now get home and see to your mother. I think she could use a little more help than usual." The girl nodded and darted off, and the woman leaned against the wall of her office, arms crossed over her chest. "Senjo, you're getting better, but not enough to outsmart me yet." The girl stepped into view out of her concealment genjutsu, almost as if she just walked out of the wall. "I assume you heard everything?"

"Yes… Mother, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Kohaku… You saw her view of the fight with Tansei?" Naiteki nodded. "What did he say to her? What happened? She seemed so different after that fight."

"He tried to finish what he started two years ago, but on a different level. In some ways, it was similar to what Kuro was doing to you."

"But then why I was able to resist him easier?"

"Because you have Kurai, and you hated Kuro long before he ever tried to hurt you." When Senjo turned wide eyes to her mother, Naiteki flashed a fierce grin at her. "I looked into his memories, and I saw that little tidbit among the scenes he showed you. He's lucky that we need him alive for now. I haven't told your father yet."

"I kind of figured, by the fact that he hasn't been shadowing me since I came home." She laughed a little at the thought, but then became serious again.

"Kohaku will be fine, but she will be different when she finally finds her place. Just as you and Kurai have found your niches, so will she."

"But-" Naiteki placed a hand on Senjo's shoulders, pulling her in close.

"You can't help everyone, Senjo. She will always be your teammate and friend, but every shinobi walks their own path. You just have to learn to let them."

* * *

Daichi was alone in the training room when Kurai walked in. The younger boy cast a glance in his direction, then went back to lengthening a rock he held. When it was slightly longer than a kunai, he flicked his wrist and threw it at a human-shaped target painted on the far wall. Kurai's eyes widened as he watched the weapon land solidly in the target's neck. "You've gotten a lot better." 

"Thanks." The brothers stared at one another for a moment, and then Daichi turned to leave.

"Wait," Kurai said. "I want to talk to you."

"About what?" Another pause, and this time Daichi's eyes widened as Kurai dropped to all fours and bent his head to the ground. "Kurai-"

"Forgive me, Daichi. I haven't been much of a brother to you. I let Father's and my own anger rule me. Your techniques are your own, no matter where you learned them, and I had no right to hurt you like I did. I'm sorry." There was silence for a few minutes as Daichi tried to speak.

"What brought this on? And will you stand up, please? You're making me feel weird." Kurai stood and approached his brother, placing both hands on his shoulders.

"When I was still in the academy, I would watch Gaara, to get an idea of the techniques he used. I even copied one of them, hoping to perfect it for the clan. But when I showed Father, he threatened to disown me, and told me that I was never to use any of that monster's techniques again. I never forgot how to do it though, and during my fight with one of the Sound ninjas, I used it to defeat her."

"You did?" Daichi's eyes were still wide, and his jaw had gone slightly slack. He liked this new side of Kurai. "Which technique was it?"

"Desert Coffin. Kohaku got me to thinking about why I used it during the fight, and why I had first learned it. That's when I realized that you were learning the Sand Armor for the same reason: So that we could make it part of our clan's techniques."

"Right. Different masters have different styles, but there's no law saying one master can't learn from another." Kurai quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're still ten? I don't remember you ever being this serious."

"I just listen to people, but mostly I get it from mother."

"At least you inherited something good."

"You did too. It just took you a lot longer to realize it." They smiled, and then Kurai dropped his hands and sighed. "What is it?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"Oh?"

"Bring me with you when you go watch Gaara next time. If I'm going to challenge him, I need to see what I'm up against."

"You sure you want to do that, Kurai?"

"I need to do this, Daichi. You'll understand when I issue the challenge."

"If you say so."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It was a few days later, and Senjo was busy going over some paperwork in her mother's office when Naiteki walked in and leaned against the door for a moment. "Mother, is there something wrong?" She noticed a scroll tube in her hand, and immediately stood.

"Hidden Stone sent their reply to our letter." Casually tossing the message to her daughter, Naiteki sat down at her desk and began going over some reports. With trembling hands, the redhead opened the tube and unfurled the letter. It was short and straight to the point, and when she was done, Senjo nodded at her mother.

"You've discussed things with the Kazekage, I assume?"

"Of course. Do you want to tell the prisoner?"

"I'm the only one he'd believe." Naiteki nodded and withdrew her keys from her belt, unlocking the door and tossing them to Senjo.

"Make it quick."

"Yes ma'am." Still clutching the scroll, she descended into the cell area, eyes going straight to Daisuke's cell. What would he say when she told him? He had been so patient over the weeks, and so nice to her. When he'd heard about Kuro's attack on her, he'd even been angry. She managed a small smile. Some good had come out of this after all, as they had sent the location of the Hidden Sound village to Konoha recently, hoping that this would further strengthen the alliance between Leaf and Sand. "Daisuke?"

"Senjo?" He came to the front of the cell, hands holding the bars and a smile on his face. That this would be the last time she saw him like this nearly broke her heart.

"We received a letter from your former village today." His face fell, the color draining from it. She handed him the scroll, and he swallowed loudly before unrolling it and reading aloud.

"By order of the Tsuchikage of Hidden Stone, Sunomo Daisuke has been declared dead, a casualty of war six years ago, and his file has been destroyed. Any further requests for information will be denied." Senjo unlocked the cell door and caught him just before he slumped to the floor. "Senjo… What does this mean?"

"It means you're free, Daisuke. Your village could've sent a hunter-nin here to kill you, but they didn't. Now you have a choice: Wander as a homeless ninja, or stay here in Hidden Sand."

"Stay here? But I'm the enemy. I came here as a spy. I'm an outcast."

"There are quite a few of those here anyway," she replied with a smile. "Now on your feet. We're going upstairs to see my mother."

"Mother?" He wasn't quite following what she was saying, but at least he was walking beside her. Up the stairs they went, and Senjo unlocked the door. "Ow!" he yelled as the light hit his eyes for the first time in months.

"Get used to it, Daisuke," Naiteki told him. "There's a lot of sun in this village." He blinked a few times, recognizing the voice he couldn't put a face to at the moment.

"Senjo… Your mother is the village interrogator?"

"Of course. Why else did you think I had access to the cells?" He smiled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I see. So to what do I owe the pleasure of you calling me by my name?"

"The pleasure of being a possible ninja for Hidden Sand. That is, if I determine you are fit and loyal enough. You see, we don't take betrayals lightly. So if you ever even **think** of going back to that bastard Orochimaru again, we will hunt you down with every hunter-nin we can spare." She dropped her voice and stared into his eyes, and Senjo knew she was using her chakra to form pictures in his mind of the consequences. He swallowed hard again, nodding vigorously that he understood. "Good boy. Now let's see what we can do about getting you some decent food." Senjo began giggling, and both Naiteki and Daisuke gave her puzzled looks.

"Which means it looks like I'll be making lunch." Naiteki sighed and shooed them both out of the building, a smile on her face.

* * *

"Kohaku, have you seen your brother?" Atsui asked at breakfast the next day. "When I went to wake him, his bed was made and his clothes were gone. He's hardly been home the past few days."

"He's probably out training," she replied. Kurai being gone was nothing new, but even she had seen little of her twin. Daichi had been keeping his mouth shut, but he would sometimes smile like he knew a big secret and didn't want to share.

"Isn't that where you should be?" Taru asked gruffly, not looking up from the morning paper. Kohaku bristled instinctively, but grit her teeth and stood up. Lately everything their father had said was derogatory, and everyone was trying to just take it in stride. She had been going out on quite a few village border patrols lately, but this was the first day she had all to herself. Yes, she would be spending it training, but she resented the tone in her father's voice, like she'd never trained a day in her life.

"Yes Father." Daichi met her eyes across the table, and she nodded. The siblings had developed a rudimentary silent language in the days since Taru and Kurai's talk. Eye contact meant "are you all right", nods and shakes were "yes" or "no", and a smile meant "I'll be all right". Passing by Taru's chair, Kohaku was startled to hear him ask:

"Why aren't you wearing your armguards?"

"I don't need them anymore."

"They cover your scars."

"A shinobi should be proud of the scars they bear."

"They show weakness," he told her, glancing up. "You don't see Kurai with any, yet you and Daichi both have them." Atsui's back stiffened at the stove, and Daichi's eyes widened. His hand came up to rub across the scar that Kurai had inflicted, though he'd concocted a story that he'd fallen down a rocky slope and hadn't gotten it treated in time. Taru hadn't said anything implying that scars were bad before, and that was going too far. Kohaku would not let this comment go, and met her father's gaze.

"They show experience." She turned quickly, leaving the room, putting on her sandals, and making it out the front door in less than a minute. She didn't expect him to follow; she just wanted to get out of the house. Once in the street she headed for the cliff-top where the sentries were stationed. Anger forced her steps faster and faster, until she was running blindly. She vaguely heard someone shouting her name before she collided into something that crashed to the ground along with her.

"Kohaku!" After shaking her head to clear the stars she was seeing, the brunette realized that Senjo was standing over her, tugging on her arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Senjo. Sorry-" The words froze as Kohaku looked at the person she'd run into. He was sitting in front of her, holding his head with one hand and swearing softly. The clothes he wore looked like cast-offs: A tan short-sleeved shirt that was a bit baggy, and long gray shorts. His dark-brown hair was tied back in a short ponytail, and he wore a red cloth forehead protector without the village symbol that he kept tugging out of his eyes. And those eyes were what drew her attention: Light, sand-colored, and full of a thousand emotions at once. She had seen eyes like that only once before, and she scrambled to her feet. "Who are you?"

"Me?" he asked, staring up at her. The question seemed to catch him off-guard, and he looked lost for a moment. Kohaku put him at eighteen, maybe a year older. She knew most of the people in Hidden Sand, especially anyone who looked like they were a ninja. Though he appeared inexperienced, this young man seemed combat-worthy.

"Uh, Kohaku, this is Daisuke. Tanamari Daisuke," Senjo introduced with some hesitation. When her teammate raised her eyebrow, she sighed. "You remember the Sound spy we caught months ago?"

"**This** is-" Senjo clapped her hand over Kohaku's mouth and hissed in her ear:

"Yes! Don't make a big deal about it, please?" Daisuke was watching them, not moving a muscle. His attention seemed split between the girls, but Kohaku could tell he was watching her closer.

"Sorry," she whispered when Senjo backed up. "I just wasn't expecting to run into him out on the streets. What happened?"

"His village declared him dead, so the Kazekage is letting him stay with us so mother can evaluate him to be a Sand ninja."

"Oh." Daisuke put his hands on the ground to stand, but both girls offered him their hands, which he accepted with a smile as they pulled him up. "Forgive my lack of manners," Kohaku apologized as he dusted himself off. "I'm Hajino Kohaku, teammate of Senjo's." They bowed to one another, and he seemed much calmer now.

"Senjo has told me a bit about you and your brother." He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "She also said that if you thought I was going to hurt her, you'd break me in half and roast the pieces."

"You believe her?" Kohaku's grin was a dangerous one, and he shrugged again. This time though, his eyes were serious.

"She told me about what you did to Kuro. I knew him back in the village, and he wasn't someone I wanted to mess with. I believe you'd carry out that threat."

"Good. Now that we have that settled, what say I give your abilities a little test run? If you're going to be a Sand ninja, then you should see what we're like. That, and I could use a workout." She dropped into a loose stance, and Senjo went to protest, but Daisuke just nodded.

"Me too," he agreed, crouching down with both hands up in fists.

"Kohaku, is this really necessary?" Senjo asked, irritation clear in her voice. Her mother had warned her not to bring any undo attention on Daisuke, and a fight with a Hajino would do just that.

"It's just a friendly spar," came the reply.

"I'll be all right, Senjo," he agreed. The redhead sighed heavily and crossed her arms, sitting down just out of range of melee. Both fighters suddenly charged forward, but Kohaku went low, sinking into the ground as she moved. In a matter of moments she was completely encased in the earth, and Daisuke stopped dead. He immediately placed one hand on the ground, and Senjo felt his chakra spreading out, like he was searching for his opponent. His eyes widened as he suddenly leapt to the side, and a pillar of rock rose up where he had been a moment ago. Kohaku was sitting on top of it, and Daisuke scrambled to his feet and paused for a moment. The girl was staring at him, arms resting at her sides and legs hanging off the pillar like it was a throne. The smile on her face was one of triumph and amusement, but he wasn't done. He centered his chakra on the pillar she was on, quickly forming the hand seals he'd learned so many years ago.

"Doton: Hahen dangan (Earth Element: Rock Bullets)" Kohaku sensed the chakra shift as she dove off the pillar, which shattered. The pieces hung in the air for a moment before they flew at her. Senjo screamed, but Kohaku slammed her hand to the ground and called on her favorite defense:

"Ganseki toku! (Rock shield)" The rock fragments struck her shield, but it held. She waited a few moments before shrinking it down, and noticed Daisuke trying to catch his breath. He was standing, though with his head bent and hands on his legs like he had just run from Konoha. Senjo was on her way over, but Kohaku beat her to his side and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Sure," he wheezed. "But that took a lot more chakra than I'm used to. I'd heard that your family shared similar abilities with Gaara, but I never thought you had such a heavy concentration of chakra in your techniques. Unfortunately, that's the only earth technique I know. You would've overpowered me eventually."

"Nice to see you know when you're beaten." They smiled at each other, and Senjo raised an eyebrow. Kohaku usually didn't take this fast to people, though it might've been because of all the action they'd seen in Konoha. And Daisuke did need more friends… Suddenly a rumbling cut her musing short, and she barely had time to grab Kohaku before they were all knocked off their feet.

"Earthquake?" Daisuke yelled as the noise increased.

"In the desert? We've never had one."

"That isn't an earthquake, Senjo," Kohaku said as she watched the sentries running as best they could to the edge of the cliff. The trio followed as quickly as they were able, and everyone's eyes widened. Out in the sand dunes, a massive wave of sand was making its way south, heading parallel to the village border. A figure was kneeling with his hands on the ground, watching the sand.

"Gaara," one of the sentries whispered. The hair on the back of Senjo's neck rose. She'd seen this technique up close once before, and it seemed even larger than last time. But the control with it wasn't as good yet, and it seemed to be slower.

"That isn't Gaara," Kohaku said softly, eyes centered on the figure. "It's Kurai."

"Kurai-kun?"

"Your other teammate?" Daisuke asked, still in slight shock.

"Her teammate and then some," Kohaku flippantly told him.

"Well, I'm not so sure about that," the redhead replied. "Lately he hasn't-"

"He does care about you, Senjo," Kohaku told her. "He just doesn't always know how to show it." She looked over and saw Daisuke's face fall as he looked quickly at Senjo, then at her brother.

"So that's Hajino Kurai?"

"Yeah," Senjo said with a smile, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. She still cared about him, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

_'He'd kill me if he knew what I was thinking about Senjo. I knew he was her teammate, but I never realized why she spoke so highly of him.'_ Daisuke felt someone staring at him, and looked up to meet Kohaku's eyes on the other side of Senjo.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize." Her smile was genuine and apologetic, and he just shrugged and smiled back. Senjo broke out of her staring to see the two of them smiling at each other again.

"Come on, you two, let's go see Kurai-kun!" Tugging on their arms, she turned and ran down the road, sash and hair flying behind her.

"She's such a kid sometimes," Kohaku mused.

"At least she's a happy kid," Daisuke shot back as they followed their friend.

* * *

Kurai was walking back towards the village when he saw a group heading towards him. A moment later Senjo was at his side, smiling up at him. His sister and a man he didn't recognize hung back a moment. "Who's your friend, Senjo-chan?"

"Oh, um… His name is Daisuke," she said softly. "He's-"

"The former Sound spy," Kohaku interrupted. She saw Kurai frown, casting a glance at Daisuke even as his arm went around Senjo protectively.

"And I assume there's a reason he's walking free around the village?"

"Naiteki-san is evaluating me to see if I can be a ninja of Hidden Sand," the boy in question shot back, eyes centered on Kurai like he expected a challenge.

"He's a decent person, Kurai-kun," Senjo told him, taking his hand. "And I already told him that if he tries to hurt me-"

"That it'll be a race to see who kills him first," Kohaku said, a smile on her face. Senjo glared at her for a moment. She was behaving a little oddly. Had something happened at home this morning? In all the excitement of Kohaku meeting Daisuke, Senjo had not asked her friend why she had been running through the streets.

"I would never hurt Senjo. She's the only one who ever gave me a chance and didn't treat me like a criminal."

"Even though you are," Kurai added. When Daisuke just nodded, he squeezed Senjo's hand once before gently pulling away. "Well, I need to get some food before I head back out for some more training. Kohaku?"

"See you later, Senjo. Nice meeting you, Daisuke."

"You too." The twins headed through the gates, quickly getting swept up in the crowd at the market.

"So that's where you've been running off to every day," Kohaku said. Her tone was slightly accusatory, but flat.

"I had Daichi show me where Gaara trains, and I saw him doing a technique like that. I have to perfect it before I challenge him, and I'm getting close."

"You are really going through with it, then? Kurai, I thought you had given up on that foolish dream of Father's."

"I'm not doing this for him, or the clan. I'm doing this for myself."

"Yourself?"

"You'll understand when I challenge him. Please Kohaku-"

"No, this is all the same egotistical bullshit you were spouting before we went back to Konoha. Kurai, we have to accept our position-"

"I don't know about you, but my position hasn't been determined yet." She stopped with a snide comment on her tongue, staring at him. He didn't seem angry, or even upset that she still thought he was an idiot for challenging the Desert Child. Had he actually learned something through all the fighting and rehashing of the past that they had done? "I just ask one thing: Don't judge me yet."

"You know I already have." He nodded, smiling sadly.

"I know. And Senjo will too. I just hope I don't lose you both over this."

"Then **stop** thinking like this! You have nothing to prove! You are my brother, the heir to the Hajino Clan, and I don't ask you to do this. The girl you love isn't demanding you fight someone she considers a friend. Our mother is afraid of losing you to feelings of revenge like Father, and Daichi just wants his brother to notice him."

"I'm not doing it for anyone else, I already told you that." She stared at him, sighed heavily, and shook her head.

"I will always be your sister, Kurai. Just sometimes I'm not sure we're as alike as everyone thinks we are."

"I would hope not. The world doesn't need a second me. You will always have your own path to walk, and I will support you on it. Now I ask that you support me on mine." He walked away, leaving her alone in the crowd, and she leaned against the nearest building, feeling the warm stone on her back.

"No Kurai, I don't think even you will support me on the path I'm on."

* * *

The days following had been quiet, and life appeared to be getting back to normal. Senjo and Naiteki were working even more closely together, going over paperwork and old accounts to get Senjo prepared for her future. Daisuke too, seemed to be adjusting easily to a routine. Seishin would train him every day he was able, and it seemed he enjoyed having another "son" to be involved with. Inkei was even behaving himself, and he and Daisuke were getting along well. So it was a bit of a shock when her little brother came barreling into the office, startling Senjo and causing a stack of papers to crash to the floor. "Inkei, what's wrong?" she demanded.

"You need to come with me!" he said, reaching for her hand.

"What happened? Is the village being attacked?" She briefly thought that Akatsuki had made a move on Gaara, but Inkei shook his head.

"Kurai is challenging Gaara!" The world stopped for a split second as she felt her legs start to give way, but she caught herself and clenched her fists tight.

"Damn him!" The Tanamari siblings raced to the center of the village, where it seemed everyone had gathered. Naiteki and a few other Jounins were standing off to the side, and the Kazekage was right behind them. Daichi and Kohaku made their way over, followed by Atsui. "Is he serious?"

"I'm afraid so," Kohaku replied, frowning slightly.

"Suicide," Kankuro quipped as he and Temari strolled up. "Kurai is as stubborn an ass as your father."

"I know."

"Speaking of dad, there he is," Daichi pointed out, as their attention went to the center of the ring of people. Kurai and Gaara were talking, and Taru was standing on the inside of the circle, right behind his son. The smile he wore was more of a smirk, and Senjo noticed Gaara cast a quick glance at the older man.

"…at three tomorrow?" Kurai was asking. Gaara nodded, arms folded across his chest. "See you then." As the boys went their separate ways, the crowd began dispersing. Taru clapped Kurai on the shoulder and whispered something to him, but he just kept walking. Senjo knew he was headed for their group, and she was torn between running away and telling him off.

"We'd better go find Gaara," Temari said as she nodded at them.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Kohaku added as the two ran after their brother. Daisuke and Naiteki walked up, and Atsui pulled the other woman to the side.

"He's challenging Gaara?" Daisuke asked in slight shock. "Why?"

"Because I have to," Kurai told them, coming over. "You'll understand tomorrow." Kohaku and Daichi raised their eyebrows, but said nothing.

"Aren't you ever satisfied?" Senjo asked, trying to keep her voice soft. "When will you be done proving yourself?"

"Senjo-chan-"

"No Kurai, I'm tired of all this! It isn't bad enough we had to deal with Makoto, Kuro, and Tansei, but now you want to stoke your ego even more by thinking you can fight Gaara?" A small crowd had begun to form around them, and Senjo was losing the fight to keep from shouting. "When will it be enough? Do you have to be lying half-dead again? Or do you want to be dead before you're through trying to live up to what your father wants."

"Senjo, please listen-"

"No, **you** listen! If you want to challenge Gaara, you do it **alone**!" Turning on her heel, Senjo bolted from the crowd. Kurai made a move to follow, but Naiteki and Kohaku grabbed his arms.

"Let her go," his sister advised.

"You've done enough damage already," the woman added.

"I still think this is a stupid idea," Daichi said as he and Inkei walked away.

"Of course it is," Kurai replied. "But I still need to do it."

"You're willing to hurt Senjo just because you feel slighted by Gaara?" Daisuke demanded. When the twins looked at him, he continued "She told me all about your family's history with him. Maybe you should think about others for a change." He turned in the direction Senjo had gone, and the second crowd began leaving as well. Kohaku shook her head and sighed heavily.

"Just once, it would be nice not to have to play peacemaker."

"I never asked you to," Kurai shot back.

"I know, but it's my default role. Now I need to go calm him down before he says something stupid to Senjo." Leaving her brother alone, Kohaku went after Daisuke and hoped this mess would all be done with tomorrow.

* * *

The wind whipped over the cliffs, dragging sand with it. Senjo ducked her head into her knees, closing her eyes until the wind died down. She had been up here for a little while, trying to think. But every time she pictured Kurai, she had to will herself not to cry all over again. "Stupid idiot," she whispered. "Doesn't even care about anyone else's feelings. All he's doing is listening to his father."

"Senjo?" a female voice asked from behind. Thinking at first that is was Kohaku, the redhead turned, only to see Temari and her brothers a few feet away. "Are you okay?"

"Does it look like I am?" she shot back, instantly regretting her tone. The blonde sighed and nodded, turning to her siblings.

"Let's leave her alone for now."

"You two go on ahead," Gaara said, looking at Senjo. "I'll join you shortly."

"And you still deny that you and Senjo are-" Kankuro began before glares from Temari and Gaara silenced him.

"We're just friends," the female redhead said, a blush creeping into her face.

"Right," the puppet master replied with a chuckle as Temari rolled her eyes and dragged him away. There was silence on the cliff top as the wind kicked up yet again, but Gaara didn't turn from the stinging sand as Senjo did, but continued to watch her.

"Why are you upset? Shinobi challenge each other all the time. It is only natural for Kurai to want to fight me. I am an obstacle he must overcome."

"Those are Hajino-san's words. I don't even know if Kurai has his own opinion of you. He's spent his life under his father's shadow."

"Kohaku admitted as much, that she has no personal opinion of me, but was merely following her family." Senjo raised an eyebrow and looked up at him.

"Kohaku said that?"

"At the hospital, after she was through speaking to Uzumaki Naruto's teammate. It appeared she and the girl have some things in common." Something clicked then, and Senjo smiled slightly.

"Sakura. They met when we first went to Konoha. Naruto's whole team seemed to share similar aspects with us. Kurai and Sasuke were almost completely alike."

"Do you equate yourself to Naruto, then?"

"A little. He's the untested link in that team, the one who needs help from everyone but doesn't want to admit it."

"Wouldn't that make him helpless?"

"No, not really. He can do a lot of things on his own, but he needs the proper motivation. Without it, he's a goofy kid." Gaara folded his arms across his chest and met her eyes. Senjo wasn't sure, but she thought she detected the hint of a smile in his gaze.

"And what is his motivation?"

"His friends. If they're in trouble, he does anything he can to help them."

"And you?" Frowning slightly, Senjo stood and cast a glance across the desert. She didn't have many friends, but she cherished the ones she did have. Even if they were too busy being a jerk to listen.

"My friends are important to me. I would die for them if I had to." She met his gaze, and he nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

"Many times I asked myself why Uzumaki Naruto wished to be Hokage. And now I think I have the answer: He wishes to protect everyone, as he does his friends. When he becomes Hokage, then everyone in Konoha will be important to him, and he will do whatever it takes to ensure their safety."

"Most people want to be village leader for the power and prestige. Naruto just wants to help people." Gaara walked to her side, looking out over the desert as a dust devil whipped across the ground far below them.

"Maybe one day, I can do the same." Eyes wide, Senjo turned to him, wondering if she'd heard him right.

"You want to be Kazekage?"

"I want to be like Naruto: I want to understand why he is the way he is. By sharing his dream, maybe I can."

"If anyone can do it, you can."

"You have a lot of faith in me, don't you, Tanamari Senjo? Why is that?" There was silence as she tried to think of an answer, but there wasn't one. At least none that made complete sense to anyone but her. She had gone from fearing Gaara to thinking of him as a friend in a very short period of time. Had it all been because of Naruto, or had she always felt that the desert child's isolation was unfair? She herself had been nearly isolated before Kohaku came along, so was it because she knew what it felt like? There were too many questions and too few answers, and she was tired.

"Because no one should be totally alone. Everyone needs at least one friend they can count on."

"I've never had a friend, before you and Naruto came along."

"We'll be there whenever you need us, and sometimes when you think you don't. Like how you stayed to talk to me. Why did you, anyway?" He shrugged, and the corners of his mouth turned up for a moment.

"It seemed like the right thing to do." He turned and started walking, but Senjo reached out and tugged lightly on his arm. "Yes?"

"Are you really going to fight Kurai tomorrow?"

"I believe we have had this discussion already. And the promise I made then still holds. Kurai and I will fight, but there will be no senseless bloodshed."

"Do you think that will be enough for Kurai?" Gaara nodded, and she released his arm so he could leave.

"I think tomorrow will be a learning experience for everyone." Then he was gone, leaving Senjo alone to consider his last words, and her words to Kurai.

* * *

Daisuke was walking along the perimeter of the village, trying to find Senjo hiding somewhere. He knew she was probably out in the desert by the cliffs, but he wasn't sure if he would be allowed outside the gates by himself. Naiteki-san had warned him not to draw attention to himself, and since none of the guards knew him, leaving would do just that. But even if he found Senjo, what would he say to her? Kurai's apparent betrayal of her feelings was something he would not stand for, and yet he wasn't sure of her feelings himself. She cared about Kurai, and it didn't seem that this one act would be enough to tear them apart. But did he want to potentially get in their way by telling her how he felt? Or would that just do more damage to both of them? "Daisuke!" a voice called out. He turned to see Senjo's teammate Kohaku jogging up to him. "Going somewhere?"

"I'm trying to find Senjo," he replied matter-of-factly. She smiled, casting a glance up the rock wall that marked the end of the village.

"You won't find her here. She would've gone to the cliffs. Almost no one goes there because of Gaara. That's his usual training grounds."

"Most of the village seems to still fear him, but Senjo doesn't." It wasn't really a question, but he knew there was one in his tone.

"She never did think like everyone else. Even when we were younger, she always had her own thoughts and ways of seeing things."

"When she was friends with Toshiro Kuro?" Kohaku frowned, her eyes darkening for a moment.

"Yes. He did everything he could to break her, and never succeeded."

"Senjo said that was because of you. That you protected her."

"She's my friend," the girl replied with a shrug. "When we became teammates, it became even more important to protect each other." She paused then, and Daisuke saw her look down at her arms. He had noticed the thick scars before, but had refrained from asking her directly. However, Senjo had dismissed his questions as well, refusing to explain where and how her longtime friend and teammate had gotten the scars. Her reasoning was that it was Kohaku's decision, and hers alone, to tell him. His curiosity piqued, Daisuke reached out a hand to touch her arm. But the moment Kohaku realized what he was doing, she pulled back, hugging her arms to her chest. "Don't."

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to know: What are those from? Senjo won't tell me." They stared at each other in silence, he not moving, and she walking over to lean against the wall. Finally, she looked over at him and dropped her arms to her sides.

"How well did you know Kuro and his teammates?"

"Well enough to stay out of their way. They weren't our best, but they were dangerous," he replied with a shrug.

"What about Akanaho Tansei?" When he stiffened slightly, she was sorry she'd mentioned the name. Still, his reaction intrigued her. She hadn't doubted that Tansei was as sadistic as he'd told her, but to hear someone else's view would be interesting.

"I would see him around the village sometimes, always by himself unless on a mission. He would sometimes watch everyone train, studying each move and technique like he was trying to memorize them. But mostly he stayed with the prisoners. I'd heard that he was one of the people Orochimaru used to test them." Daisuke stopped and repressed a shiver. "I only spoke to him once, but he unnerved me with just that conversation. When I asked him what he did to the prisoners, he said he was making music." Kohaku glanced up and hugged her arms to her body again, biting her lip. His reasons for doing what he did had unnerved her as well, and it was no surprise that someone who knew nothing about Tansei would be shocked by his actions. Somewhere, somehow, she had missed the change from classmate and friend to psychotic sadist. Daisuke continued, as if he was reliving the conversation. "Then he explained that screams were like music to him, and he was searching for the perfect one. He'd only heard it once, but-"

"I know," Kohaku interrupted, voice soft. She flipped her arms over, staring at the scars as he looked over and waited for her to continue. "My scream was the one he wanted to hear again. That was the only time I ever screamed like that; when he gave me these scars." Their eyes met, and she saw the shock that sat so openly in his gaze. "He was my friend- No, he was more than that, but it didn't matter. The boy I had loved died long before I was ever injured. The monster who did this got his punishment."

"Kohaku…" There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but none of them could get past the lump in his throat. She was so young, to be hurt like that by someone she'd cared about. He turned away, realizing that Senjo and Kurai's argument was minor compared to that. Even Kuro's attack on Senjo held more weight than Kurai not taking Senjo's feelings into consideration. How could he have thought that she might turn to him, rather than her teammate? "I'm such an idiot."

"No, you aren't," she argued, coming up beside him. "You're just male." He raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her.

"You make that sound like a shortcoming." There was silence for a moment, and then she smiled at him, shaking her head.

"You mean it isn't?" He returned the smile, but was startled a moment later when she leaned into him, arms across her chest. They stayed like that for a few minutes as he felt his heart speed up slightly, and then drop back down to normal. She hid her pain well, and she seemed to be the type of person who didn't trust easily. That she allowed him to share in her personal nightmare was not something he expected, but appreciated nevertheless. "You're really serious about becoming a ninja for Hidden Sand, right?"

"Of course. Without your village, I'd have nowhere to go. And Senjo was nice to me even when I was a prisoner."

"Then do me a favor: Don't get into the mindset of feeling you have to prove yourself. This whole village has something to prove, and egos tend to be even worse. My family, Gaara, Senjo, even me; we all feel the need to prove ourselves because it seems to us that we're not good enough. If you really want to be a ninja, then follow Tanamari-san. Sometimes it seems like he's the only one who has a good head on his shoulders."

"Senjo's father? Sometimes I'm not even sure if he knows he has a head." They both chuckled, and Kohaku looked him over again. All in all, he wasn't a bad guy, even if he was a bit misguided. Still, she knew that anything she might be thinking about him was tainted. Her promise to Hyuuga Neji was still fresh in her mind, and seeing Tansei and coming to grips with her feelings for him had shocked her.

"Daisuke?" she asked, wondering if she should really be asking him this.

"Yes?"

"Do you think we could be friends?" He seemed a bit surprised, then put a hand behind his head and chuckled again.

"I thought we sort of were already. After all, I'm going to be living with Senjo and her family, so we'll probably be seeing a lot more of each other."

"I'd like that."

"I would too."


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Notes: This is it, the final chapter. It consists of a slight prelude, the fight, and then the aftermath. It might be a little shorter (and possibly a little anti-climactic) than people hope, so if there's anything you think needs to be added, let me know. Either in the comments or by emailing me at my hotmail address, tyrnav. Thanks! I should have the first chapter of the second story (set 2 ½ years after this one) up during the summer. Oh, and Senjo's rant at the end of the fight is courtesy of CelticKitten, who Senjo is based off of.

Chapter 15

The day seemed to come too early, and Kohaku blinked as the sunlight momentarily blinded her when she opened her eyes. It was dawn, and soon her brother and Gaara would finally have the fight that everyone had been predicting since the desert child's creation. Shaking her head, she stood and stretched, rotating her wrists until she worked all the kinks out of her arms. The scars seemed to glow in the light, but she was slowly getting used to them again. "Kohaku?" a soft voice asked from the doorway.

"Yes, Daichi?" He walked in, sitting on her bed and watching the window for a moment as the rays slowly traveled down the wall to the floor.

"Who do you think will win?" She was silent as she worked on an answer, her gaze coming to rest on the picture of her team when they had first been formed. Kurai was behind her and Senjo, arms on their shoulders and a smirk on his face. To most people, it would seem like he was cold, almost removed from them. But Kohaku knew it was a defensive posture, as if Kurai was daring anyone to mess with his team. That he had changed so much and so little in two years amazed her.

"I can't answer that."

"Do you think Kurai has a chance?" Her little brother seemed nervous for some reason, constantly fidgeting with the sheets, fists clenching and relaxing. "I mean, if something were to happen-"

"Like what? Gaara going berserk and killing him?" Daichi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, that." She turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. Was he suddenly having second thoughts now that Kurai was going through with what they had tried to talk him out of for so long?

"I'm surprised at you, Daichi. After all, you were the one who kept sneaking up to watch him train. Wasn't it you who said we should try to be like Gaara instead of fearing him? Between you and Senjo, I wasn't sure who was his staunchest defender."

"I know I said that, but-"

"Did you mean it?" She was staring at him now, and Daichi was surprised at how harsh her gaze was. Her eyes were locked onto his, and for a moment, he wasn't so sure that it was his sister staring at him. She almost seemed like Inkei's mother, or one of the teachers at the academy.

"I don't-"

"Daichi, a ninja does not say things without meaning them, especially not to your own family. I will ask you again: Did you mean what you said about Gaara?" There was a moment's pause as he sucked in a quick breath.

"Yes," he whispered, eyes wide. She broke eye contact, smiling slightly.

"Then Kurai will be fine. Whether he wins or not depends on if he took good notes like you."

* * *

Kurai was meditating on the cliff top near the sentries' post when he felt someone coming up beside him. "Yes?" he asked, not even bothering to open his eyes. 

"Am I disturbing you?" an unfamiliar voice asked. When he looked, Kurai saw the ex-Sound spy standing next to him, a hesitant look on his face.

"Yes, but what did you want? Come to deliver a message from Senjo about how she never wants to see me again?" His tone was harsh, resentful, and completely stupid. He knew that Senjo wouldn't resort to sending a proxy to say something. And even if she did, it would be Kohaku, not this stranger.

"No, nothing like that." He sat down across from Kurai, readjusting the cloth forehead protector so that his bangs weren't caught beneath it. It was the same color as Kurai's, but lacked the metal plate with the village symbol. "Actually, I came to confess."

"Confess what, exactly?" Kurai raised an eyebrow, moving his hands to the ground as a precaution. Though he didn't expect this man to attack him or tell him he was still a spy, he didn't like where this was leading.

"That my feelings for Senjo were not exactly pure in the beginning." Daisuke was not sure **why** he was telling the boyfriend of the girl he cared for about this. Kurai might lash out and do some serious damage, and that would be bad. Both for the attention it would bring, and because it would make the situation with Senjo even worse.

"Define "pure". Because if this is going where I think it is-" His eyes narrowed as he placed his palms securely on the ground.

"I had no idea she was with anyone, let alone one of the Hajino Clan," the other boy said quickly. "She seemed so innocent when I met her, and the littlest things seemed to make her happy. I fell in love with her because of that, until your sister told me about you two yesterday. And I wanted to tell you before someone else said something and you took it the wrong way." Kurai pulled back a bit after this confession. He had not been expecting love to be anywhere in there. Though to be fair, he had not been the greatest supporter of Senjo and her feelings over the past month or so. He'd been gone for training, and even when he'd returned, he had not wanted to see her that much. She had probably turned to Daisuke out of loneliness, finding something they both shared so neither had to suffer alone.

"You still love her?" he asked after a few moments, moving his hands off the ground and onto his legs. Daisuke frowned slightly and sighed.

"I'm to be adopted by her parents if I prove my loyalty to the village. I'm living in the same house with her, and it's driving me crazy. But if she's going to be my "sister", then I can't love her like that. Besides, Kohaku said she still cares about you, no matter what happens." Kurai nodded, suddenly wondering if there was a point to this tangent, other than to distract him before the fight. He had determined that he wasn't going to injure Daisuke, but beyond that he still wasn't sure what exactly was going on.

"Is there a point to all this? Because it could have waited until after my fight," he finally said. Daisuke sighed heavily again and placed his hands in his lap. They way he was looking at his arms reminded Kurai of how Kohaku would stare at her scars.

"Kohaku, told me about how she was betrayed by Akanaho Tansei, and Senjo had told me about Kuro and his attacks on her. I did some thinking last night, and I want to apologize partially for what I said to you yesterday. I still think it's selfish to fight Gaara, but… What you do is your own business. I just don't want to see Senjo hurt." Kurai stood up, and Daisuke followed his lead.

"Neither do I. I've been able to do a lot of thinking myself, and I came to a conclusion: Senjo means more to me than any slight against my clan. For that reason, I need to challenge Gaara." The shock was written plainly on Daisuke's face as he tried to find the words to express his confusion.

"Then **why** are you still going through with it? That's what's hurting her more than anything! She thinks you need to prove something."

"I do." Again the confusion was written plainly on Daisuke's face.

"You've lost me."

"I realize that. Even my siblings are confused as to why I'm doing this. And like I told them, it will all become clear during our fight. You are not the heir to a clan, nor have you ever had your honor called into question, so you wouldn't understand."

"I understand that as of right now, I'm an outcast." Kurai walked past him, meeting his eyes for a moment.

"In that then, we are alike." He walked a few steps, and then turned around. "One more thing: If I find that you've abused your position with the Tanamaris to get to Senjo, I will kill you."

"I believe your sister already made a similar threat."

"Yes, but I'd kill you quicker." Then he left, leaving Daisuke very confused.

* * *

The morning was slowly turning to afternoon as Senjo stared out the window of the kitchen. She was trying to make lunch, but was too distracted and kept forgetting what exactly she had been trying to put together. She had rice, chopped fresh vegetables, and some meat from dinner last night, but it was all just sitting on the counter. "It's not like I have to focus on anything," she said to herself. "Kurai's the one fighting Gaara, not me." 

"But you're still worried about him," her father said as he walked into the room. Senjo turned and smiled out of habit, but she knew her eyes were distant. She had not spoken to Kurai or Kohaku since yesterday, and the things she'd said before running off were weighing heavily on her. "Want to talk about it?" Seishin asked, sitting down at the table and pulling a chair out for her.

"There isn't anything to talk about, really. Kurai's going to fight Gaara no matter what I do or say. Both of them don't seem to think there's anything wrong." She sat down and folded her hands in her lap, and they were quiet for a moment.

"So what's wrong with them fighting then?" her father asked softly. "I mean, they're not trying to kill each other, right?"

"No, Gaara promised me there would be no useless bloodshed."

"Did he now?" Seishin's eyebrow went up as he smiled slightly. Senjo looked up and frowned. There was something in his tone that he wasn't saying outright, but she could guess where it was going.

"There's nothing going on between us, dad. We're just friends."

"Where the desert child is concerned, that **is** something. But he is a little young for you." When Senjo blushed, he began laughing.

"Did you and mom ever have any problems like this?" she asked when he stopped chuckling. "I mean, where you thought your relationship was over?"

"We argued a lot, but nothing like this. Mostly we argued with Taru, trying to talk him out of one stupid idea after another."

"Stupid ideas?" Seishin sighed heavily and shrugged. Talking about the past wasn't something he normally shied away from, but where Taru was concerned, things could get a little complicated.

"The Hajino clan has always been harsh on those who will one day take over as the heir. Taru was the eldest son, so there was no one for him to really fall back on or go to. He was constantly trying to take missions that would show his elders that he would be a fit leader for the clan. But… It changed him. He got such a stick up his ass after we became Genins, and it was all your mother and I could do to make sure he didn't kill himself and us. And of course, this was during the ongoing shinobi war, so every mission was a dangerous one. Honestly, if it wasn't for your mother, neither of us would be here. That's why you were selected to be with Kurai and Kohaku. The abilities you inherited from your mother allowed us to get out of quite a few situations with little injury. At one point though, I thought I was going to lose her. Taru and I were in a bit of a competition for her affections, and I thought he would have the better chance."

"Because he was heir to a bloodline clan?"

"Exactly. But that was also the reason your mother chose me: Because I wasn't. She didn't like what the clan was turning her teammate into, and she couldn't stand the thought of her children going through the same thing. So, that's why you're here and not at the Hajino house asking Taru why he's such a stubborn jerk."

"I heard that he was angry at what you told Kurai and Kohaku."

"That would be an understatement," Seishin said as he sighed and shook his head. "Fuming would be more like it. He's coming down too hard on Kurai for stupid things that the boy can't possibly control."

"But Kurai's still going along with it." Her father bent down and locked eyes with Senjo, frowning a bit.

"Did you ever think that maybe he doesn't have a choice? That he's doing this because the alternative would be worse?"

"I don't understand." Her voice was a whisper as her mind began coming up with a thousand things that could be worse than fighting Gaara.

"Atsui said Taru threatened to disown Kurai if he didn't fight Gaara. His own son… Can you imagine how that must've made Kurai feel?" Senjo's breath caught in her throat as her chest tightened slightly. Never would she have thought that Hajino-san would actually do that to Kurai. He was the pride of the family, the heir to the clan. And Kohaku wouldn't fight Gaara, and Daichi looked up to him. So would that mean that the three of them would be disowned? Surely their father wouldn't go that far…

"I- I never thought of it that way. He just seemed so calm about wanting to go through with the challenge."

"He's probably had time to consider his options, and decided that this is the best course of action short of leaving the family he's always known. But either way, what about this fight is **really** bothering you?"

"What do you mean?"

"We know they aren't going to kill each other, and if Kurai's doing this so as not to get kicked out of his family, what's the problem? There's still something on your mind that's not sitting right. What is it?" Silence passed between them for a few minutes as Senjo fidgeted. She knew she should be able to tell her father mostly anything, but still…

"He doesn't **need** to do this. He could do something else to prove himself to his father. But he's just allowing himself to be pushed in the direction Hajino-san has always had him going."

"Why don't you wait until the fight's over before you pass judgment?" Seishin said, patting her shoulder as he stood. "Kurai might be Taru's son, but I think his stick is at least starting to come unstuck." Senjo grinned in spite of herself and hugged her father.

"Thanks for making me see things differently."

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't, Senjo. Now let's see if we can't salvage something edible from what you were doing. I swear, you get more like your mother every day."

* * *

Naiteki was sitting at her desk, responding to various letters from other villages about missing-nin and their crimes. "I'm going to have to ask the Kazekage about getting more hunter-nins. We lost a couple during the fight with Konoha, and it's starting to take its toll." A knock on the door didn't even give her reason to pause in her writing. "Enter!" she called out, resting her head on her free hand. A moment later she sensed a familiar chakra and looked up to see Atsui standing in front of her. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you all the way out here?" 

"We need to talk," the other woman said, voice flat. Naiteki raised an eyebrow and pointed with her pen to an empty seat at the closest desk.

"What did your foolish husband do this time?" Atsui didn't laugh, and Naiteki wasn't smiling. What could've passed for a joke at any other time was now taken seriously. After a moment or two of silence, Atsui sighed heavily.

"He and I just had a very long talk over lunch. Actually… No, that's not true. Taru told me what he was expecting to happen during the fight later."

"Oh really? And what does he think is going to happen?"

"He said that if Kurai does not outright kill Gaara, then he will petition the Kazekage to allow the clan to take care of the problem. The former Kazekage forbid them from attacking Gaara, for fear of a fight getting out of control. But now…"

"The Kazekage won't allow it, Atsui, you know that. Much as I hate to admit it, Senjo was right about Gaara. He even feels different to me, the few times I've managed to get a read on his emotions. Even your children have changed their tune about him."

"What do you mean?" Naiteki leaned back in her chair and tossed the pen down. She regarded Hajino Atsui as a friend and a fierce political advisor. Taru had wanted a shinobi for a wife, but instead he'd gotten one of the most calculating and educated women in the village. And the way things seemed now, at least some of her traits had been passed down to all three children. They were all starting to think things out and weigh the consequences.

_'And, they're even beginning to contemplate alliances with those they used to consider enemies.'_ A smile crossed her face, but it wasn't a completely friendly one. "Kurai used to not even be able to say Gaara's name, let alone calmly challenge him to a fight. Whether or not Taru forced his hand doesn't matter. I've heard Inkei say that Daichi looks up to Gaara as a pseudo-mentor, or at least just someone he can measure his abilities against."

"And Kohaku?" Atsui leaned forward in her seat, not at all surprised that Naiteki knew more about her children then she did. They were all good at hiding things, for fear of their father finding out. Naiteki shrugged and looked at the ceiling for a moment.

"I think she's just tired of blindly following everyone else. Kurai will become a wonderful Jounin, just like his father. But Kohaku and Daichi's talents lie slightly elsewhere, and I think they're beginning to realize that."

"And you think that Gaara has something to do with it?"

"No, I think the Hajino clan's obsession with him does. They were thrust into a conflict they didn't start, for purposes they didn't understand. It's how every great shinobi war begins: From just a simple problem."

"I won't allow my children to be used like that. They aren't tools, and I'll be damned if I let Taru treat them as such."

"Then what do you plan on doing, Atsui?" Naiteki asked as she leaned forward in her seat. "You can't go to the elders of the clan, and your family has no impact on what the ninjas do."

"But I know someone who does," the other woman replied with a small smile. "All I need you to do is get me in to see him." They both grinned like children, but the grins had a darker purpose.

"Taru's going to be mad," Naiteki said five minutes later as they reached their destination. Atsui shrugged as they approached the guards.

"I don't care anymore. If my children are taking a stand, then I will too."

"State your business," the guard said.

"Hajino Atsui, to see the Kazekage immediately."

"Let her through, boys," Naiteki advised. "It's bad to get between a mother and her children," she said with a wicked smile as they nodded and ushered them inside.

* * *

Three o'clock finally arrived, and it seemed the entire village had gathered on the outskirts of the desert to watch the fight. Up on the cliff, the sentries and some of the elderly were watching with interest, but the main scene was down on the ground. Senjo found herself guided to the front by her father and Daisuke's gentle -and not so gentle- shoving. Inkei stayed close to her, silent for a change. Further down the line of people, the redhead glimpsed Kohaku and Daichi, both of them staring intently at Kurai. The Chuunin was standing calmly out in the deeper sand, eyes closed in what seemed like either prayer or contemplation. "What's he doing?" Daichi asked, looking up at his sister. 

"Going over his moves and countermoves," she replied. "Unless Gaara throws something at him we've never seen, he'll be ready." Her gaze traveled across the assembled villagers, and she saw most of the clan elders standing at the end of the crowd, her father right in front. "Looks like the show is about to start." As if on cue, Gaara broke through the crowd on the other side, walking out into the desert and closer to Kurai. He too, seemed to be at ease with the situation, as if he accepted challenges from other shinobi all the time.

"Mother and Naiteki-san are over there," Daichi said, pointing to where a group of Jounins were standing. Kohaku saw their mother just in front of the group; arms hugged to her chest and her mouth a tight line. Naiteki-san was beside her, an arm around the other woman's shoulders and talking to her about something. When one of the Jounins near them bent to the side for a moment, the Hajino siblings saw the unmistakable blue and white hat of the Kazekage. "He's here too?"

"Of course, Daichi. This is a fight between one of the village's oldest clans and the vessel of Shukaku. I'd be surprised if he wasn't here." Elsewhere in the crowd, Temari and Kankuro were keeping an eye on their brother. Both Karasu and Kuroari were with them, and the blonde had Shooting Star planted in front of her.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kankuro asked again.

"No, I don't. But Gaara said it would be okay."

"And you believe him?" Temari turned to face the black-clad ninja, a frown on her face. Karasu came up behind them and draped an arm over Kankuro's shoulder. The move seemed very human, and she only sighed. That her brother treated his puppets better than his own family had long since failed to bother her.

"Of course I do." Out in the desert, Gaara and Kurai stared at each other from five feet away, neither one moving.

"Nice of you to show," Kurai teased.

"I would not have missed this fight, Hajino Kurai," the redhead replied in his typical monotone. "I am, however, slightly confused by your recent shift in perspective of me." The brunette smiled then, shrugging a little.

"I'm just full of surprises lately." And then he bowed, keeping his eyes on his opponent for just a moment before lowering them to the ground. Gaara's eyes widened, but he too, bowed to Kurai and averted his gaze to do so.

"They're ready," Kohaku said softly as the whispers and discussions immediately dropped off. Naiteki stepped out of the crowd, cupping her hands over her mouth and taking a deep breath.

"**BEGIN**!" The word seemed to echo across the desert, bouncing back from the cliff walls to wash over the crowd. And the two boys wasted no time on following the command. Both leapt back, and Kurai landed with two hands on the ground and called his first attack:

"Suna bunshin no jutsu! (Sand Clones)" Two copies rose up from the desert, and they charged towards Gaara while Kurai flung shuriken at him and raced sideways; further into the desert. The desert child stood with his arms folded across his chest as the sand poured from his gourd to shield him from the weapons. After that, when the clones struck the sand shield, a tendril extended from it, wrapped around each one, and broke it into dust. Gaara dropped the shield in time to see that Kurai was forming seals. "Fuuton: Sakashima senpuu (Air Element: Reverse Whirlwind)." As the air around him changed direction, Gaara's eyes widened for a moment before the sand went to work, forming a bubble around him that did not let the whirlwind force him down.

"Attack him faster!" Taru shouted, the first to break the silence of the crowd.

"Sabaku kyuu! (Desert coffin)" Gaara said, lifting his hand and focusing a bit on the sand around him. It shot forward, covering the distance between the boys and quickly wrapping around Kurai's legs. But he just smiled, allowing the sand to encase his hands.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he challenged, focusing on the sand around him and pushing his chakra into it. Much to the crowd's surprise, the grasping attack stopped and receded, curling back towards Gaara.

"What the hell?" someone asked. "How did he do that?" And that unleashed a torrent of both cheers and questions:

"Go Kurai!"

"Did you see that?"

"You can do it, Kurai! That was great!"

"How did he turn back that attack?"

"All right Hajino clan!"

"That was one of Gaara's killer moves. How did he stop it?" Kohaku and Daichi grinned and each other as they heard the talking start up again.

"Interesting," Gaara said, allowing the sand to rise back up towards him. But a moment later, he was staring at a sand clone of Kurai that formed from his sand, one that launched itself at him in what looked like a tackle move. A sudden movement on his right showed that the real Kurai was running at him, much faster than had been anticipated. The sand could not keep up, and Gaara felt like he was back in the Chuunin exam as a fist connected with his cheek and he went flying towards the ground. The clone was attached to his legs, preventing him from moving far. But as he watched, the clone dissolved back to sand, and he heard Kurai's voice:

"Suna gokusha! (Sand prison)" The sand began twisting its way up Gaara's body in an eerily similar way to the redhead's own ninjutsu attack. And now the crowd went silent once more. Senjo's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. Seishin, Inkei, and Daisuke had gone still next to her, all three focused on the fight.

"Is that what I think it is?" her father whispered. "Is that **really** Gaara's own attack being used against him?"

'_Father threatened to beat you within an inch of your life when he found out,' _her own words echoed in Kohaku's mind as she held her breath and looked over at the clan elders. All of them had their mouths hanging open, but Taru's face was beginning to turn red as the new whispers reached her ears:

"How did he do that?"

"Hey, where did Kurai learn that move?"

"Wow, Hajino-san looks really mad." But the boys continued their fight, too far away and too preoccupied to hear what was going on. Gaara turned his attention to the sand at his waist, extending his hand and feeling the flow of chakra restored to the familiar blend of Shukaku's and his own. The sand stopped trying to engulf him and twisted away, returning to his gourd.

"You are indeed full of surprises," he said as he quickly got to his feet. Kurai grinned, keeping his hands on the ground.

"Just wait for my next one." With that he sunk into the sand, disappearing from view. Gaara frowned and knelt, extending his chakra out in hopes of finding his opponent. He felt a small knot of Kurai's chakra moving rapidly away from him, and a smirk twisted his lips as he concentrated for a moment. As he was gathering the necessary chakra, Kurai emerged from the ground, quickly brushing sand out of his hair. He stood still, every nerve and muscle alert and ready for what he knew would be the final test of the challenge. Sure enough, he felt Gaara's chakra begin to swell, and the sand beneath his feet suddenly felt less stable. "Here it comes." Back in the crowd, Daichi was rubbing his arms as a chill went down his spine. Kohaku shook her head, hand tightening around her staff. They both felt the power, and it seemed to wash over the crowd as even the Hajino elders began shaking their heads and arms to get rid of the prickly sensation that crept over them like a slow sandstorm.

"Something's happening," Inkei said.

"Something big," Daisuke added. Kurai took a deep breath and closed his eyes to slow his racing heart; calling on every available shred of chakra he had remaining.

"I am a Hajino. I am the heir to the clan." Another deep breath as he knelt on the ground and placed his hands firmly on it.

"Bakuryu Ryusa! (Desert Avalanche)" The sand responded quickly to Gaara's command, forming faster than anyone imagined into a wave of sand that swept towards his opponent, who still had not moved.

"Kurai, get out of the way!" Taru yelled as his brother held him back.

"This is his fight, not yours," the younger man reminded him. "He fails or succeeds on his own." Kurai sensed the wave approaching, and centered his chakra in the sand around him, eyes still closed.

"I am the son of Hajino Taru and Atsui. I am the brother of Kohaku and Daichi. I am the boyfriend and protector of Tanamari Senjo." His eyes snapped open, more focused and ready than he had felt in a long time.

"I am Kurai, a shinobi of Hidden Sand. And this is **my** fight. Suna no Tsunami! (Tidal Wave of Sand)" Lurching to life, his own sand wave wasn't as fast, but he knew it didn't need to be. More and more sand was pulled from the sides of it to gather at the center. It was large, slow, and solid.

"He did it," Daichi said.

"Yes, he did," Kohaku agreed, eyes wide.

"Oh my-"

"Do you see-"

"Amazing!"

"How on earth-"

**BOOM!**

The two waves collided with the sound of a thunderclap and landslide all in one. Gaara's wave seemed to dissolve into Kurai's, and then they both dropped back to the desert floor so hard that everything shook. A few people were knocked off their feet, and someone screamed. A thick haze of dust settled over the battlefield, and everyone was straining their eyes to see what had happened to Kurai and Gaara. And when everything cleared, they saw the two boys standing face to face, unmoving.

"You did well," Gaara said, breathing heavy.

"So did you," Kurai replied. "It was a little tricky to ride the end of the wave like I did, and I probably wasted some chakra doing it."

"Then why do it?" Kurai shrugged, wiping sweat from his face.

"Because I wanted to see the look on your face when I did this." Before Gaara could say anything else, he dropped to one knee, arms crossed in front of him. "I yield!" The crowd all went silent, some with wide eyes, and others trying to figure out what had just happened. Kohaku and Daichi moved first, jogging out to their brother and Gaara. The rest of the crowd followed, and Senjo cast a quick look at Kurai's father. Taru was stalking out to his son, the rest of the clan at his heels.

"Let's go," Seishin said as he met Naiteki's eyes across the crowd and nodded. The Tanamaris followed everyone else, trying to keep up front. Taru stormed over to the pair once the crowd had reassembled itself, eyes centered angrily on Kurai. Every vein in his face and neck seemed to be standing out, and his fists were clenched tight at his sides.

"What are you doing? The Hajino Clan never gives up a fight!" he shouted from a foot away.

"It's pointless to continue when I already know the outcome. This fight was a starting point, to see where we measure up in terms of skill and power." Kurai's voice was even, controlled, and slightly monotone. His body did not appear tense as he stood up, but slightly loose. But his eyes never left his father, because there was no way to predict what the older man might do. "And I will continue to train so that one day I can surpass him."

"I will not have my son admitting defeat to that… Thing!"

"He's a fellow shinobi-"

"He's a **monster**!" Taru pointed an accusatory finger at Gaara. The statement swept over everyone, and Senjo closed her eyes and wished she could will those words out of existence. How many times would Gaara have to hear that word, that tone, that sentence? Wasn't twelve years of hate and loathing more than enough for him to endure? And then murmurs and whispers began to make their way among the crowd, passing between adults, children, ninjas, and regular folk. Some were agreeing with Taru, and some, like Senjo, thought that this had gone on long enough. The desert child stood still and silent, arms folded across his chest as he watched father and son argue. It was like he hadn't even truly heard the words, but knew what everyone was referring to anyway. Had he had similar fights with his father, with the same accusations and uncaring ideas? Kurai narrowed his eyes and also pointed at Gaara, who tilted his head slightly. The whispers died down as people craned their necks forward to hear what he would say.

"His name is Sabaku no Gaara, and you will address him as such." Eyes wide, face red, and patience gone, Taru's hand dropped back as he made to hit Kurai.

"**No**!" Atsui screamed, seeing a kunai slide from inside her husband's sleeve and into his hand. Naiteki and Seishin were already moving, followed by a few of the elders of the Hajino Clan. Senjo saw Kohaku and Daichi rocket forward, but Taru struck before anyone got there…

Only, what he hit wasn't flesh, but a short wall of sand that sucked his blade and arm into it, immobilizing him. Kurai stared in slight shock as Gaara walked up beside him, eyes narrowed at Taru.

"There will be no senseless bloodshed here, Hajino Taru-san. I promised someone that, and I will not have you undermine my words." And then Taru saw people walking up beside his son and the vessel as the sand released him.

"Gaara is not our enemy, Father," Daichi said, standing safely in between his siblings. Kohaku had her staff raised, blocking both the boys from an attack if one came.

"He never asked to be made into Shukaku's vessel," she added. "And I for one am tired of blaming him for all our supposed shortcomings."

"Did you ever stop and ask your children what it was they wanted?" Seishin asked from behind. "Didn't you ever think that maybe instead of fighting each other, they might be able to work together?"

"Impossible!" Taru shouted, turning to the adults in the crowd. "He's not even human! He's a-"

"**Stop it**!" Senjo yelled, coming up beside Gaara. Inkei and Daisuke were right behind her, followed by Temari and Kankuro. "He's just as much of a person as anyone here. If there's any monsters in this crowd, it's you, Hajino-san!" Now all eyes were on her, and Senjo knew she had just crossed a very wide line. But things had to be, no; **needed** to be said. And she was just the person to say them. "You're all so blinded by who Gaara was to see who he's become! Did you really expect a child who was hated by everyone and feared from the day he was born to be normal? To be the picture-perfect child? **We** made him the way he was. But if you would all take the time to get to know him, to trust him like I have... To be his friend, then you'd see how much he's changed. He's not dangerous, he's not a monster, and he's not this evil, vile creature to be ignored. Everyone needs to take off their blinders and pull the sticks from their asses and see Gaara for who he is now! He's just a boy, and he's my friend. He's a friend I'd trust my life to, no matter what the situation. Not one person in this village has even thought of giving Gaara a chance. Everyone here only sees him as he was. The fight with Konoha changed him. Why can't you all see that? Has he ever once made an attack on this village since then? Has he threatened anyone here? If he was the evil monster that the Hajino clan makes him out to be, don't you think he would have killed us all and buried the village with sand by now? But he hasn't, has he? He's never once attacked anyone with out provocation since he came back from the Chuunin Exam. Wake up, people! He's different. He's changed. He's just...Gaara." While everyone was busy popping their eyes back into place and dusting off their jaws, Senjo turned and threw her arms around the red-haired boy, who almost lost his balance.

"Senjo…" He trailed off, staring at her as she continued to hold on to him. No one moved for a full minute, and then Senjo finally pulled away, leaning into Kurai with a soft sigh. "Thank you," Gaara whispered.

"I meant every word." Then she took Kurai's hand and squeezed it, smiling up at him. Suddenly the crowd parted, and the Kazekage stepped through. Atsui was beside him, eyes sweeping over her family as the children nodded.

"There has been enough excitement for one day. Taru, I do believe a Hajino Clan meeting is in order, and I will be attending."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama," he replied hesitantly as everyone bowed.

"You heard the Kazekage!" Naiteki shouted to the crowd. "Move along, people!"

"Father, there is something you should be proud of about Gaara," Kurai spoke up again. Taru and the other elders all looked at him, some glaring, and others with puzzled expressions. "The only person who is stronger than the Hajino Clan had to be created, not born or trained. We are still the best natural users and shapers of sand and rock." Taru said nothing, but turned and followed the others back to his house. With Naiteki and her squad waving them away, the crowd soon cleared, leaving only the kids.

"That was amazing, Gaara-sama," Daichi said as he turned to face his idol. "I hope one day to be just like you and my big brother!"

"So I have yet another rival to consider?" Daichi blushed slightly as Kurai and Kohaku smiled and ruffled his hair.

"That was quite a show," Kankuro mused, grinning broadly. "I never knew you could be that loud, Senjo."

"She takes after our dad," Inkei explained as he dodged a reflexive swat from his sister, who was blushing fiercely.

"We should get going," Temari broke in, arms on both her brothers' shoulders. "No doubt we'll be getting a mission in the morning, and Gaara should rest a bit."

"Very well," the desert child replied.

"Gaara," Kurai said when the siblings turned to leave. "Don't think I won't keep trying to beat you. If you slack off in your training, I will gain the upper hand. I expect only the best from my rival." He was smiling, though it seemed more like a smirk. Gaara nodded, the expression on his face matching Kurai's. When they were gone, Kohaku shifted her gaze between Kurai and Senjo. They both looked happy, yet at the same time, hesitant. What they needed to do was hash it out and make up.

"Come on boys," she said. "I think these two need to do some talking."

"Kohaku-" Kurai began, before she leaned over and whispered:

"Talk to her and patch things up. Be the man our father no longer is." Eyes wide, Kurai could only nod in response. With a smile, she tugged on Inkei and Daichi's shirts, pulling them along. Daisuke kept pace at her side as they walked off towards Senjo's house. The couple was silent for a few minutes as they looked everywhere but at each other. Finally, Kurai's attention went to their still-linked hands, and he smiled. She had always been there for him, through everything: Makoto, Kohaku's attack and recovery, the Chuunin exam, his father's increasing demands, and in Konoha. Even when she wasn't physically with him, she was always on his mind. That he would've willingly given up on something so great as their relationship almost made him sick.

"Senjo-chan?" he asked softly.

"Yes, Kurai-kun?" There was no malice, no contempt, and nothing in her voice but hope and emotion.

"I'm so sorry I put you through all this. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you when this all started. I'm sorry-" She placed a finger to his lips to shush him, and he obeyed. Their eyes met, and then they were in each other's arms, holding on like they'd never let go. Senjo was the first to pull back, and she was smiling. "Forgive me."

"I love you, Hajino Kurai." Their lips met as they embraced once more, and their four family members hiding in the shadow of the next building silently cheered that everything was finally back to normal.


End file.
